Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
FEDERATIONOFONTARIOCOTTAGERSASSOCIATIONS7SevereWeatherWarningThewaterfrontpropertycommunityhasalwaysbeenself-reliantandresilientinthefaceofadversity.ThisspiritwasputtothetestthisAprilwhensnowmeltduetowarmtemperaturescombinedwithsuddenheavyraintoproducefloodinginseveralpartsofcottagecountry.EarthDaycelebrationsrangoutonApril22nd2013withtheeeriethemeofthefaceofclimatechange.OnlysixweeksearlieronMarch2ndGaryNielsenClimateChangeProjectCoordinatoroftheMinistryofNaturalResourceshadgivenatimelypresentationonthesubjectofclimatechangeattheFOCAA.G.M.NielsenexplainedthatOntariosecosystemisunderstresswithadecreasedamountofnaturalareaswetlandsandforestsalongsideincreasesinairandwatertemperaturesshortenedperiodsofwintericecoverandearliersnowmelt.Hecautionedthatwemustlearntoadaptwherewecannotmitigatethesechangestoreduceourvulnerabilities.BeforethewaterssubsidedinOntarioinearlyMayastateofemergencyhadbeendeclaredinthetownsofBracebridgeandHuntsvilleandtheCityofKawarthaLakesaswellasMindenHillsSouthAlgonquinBancroftandMarkstay-WarreneastofSudbury.Manypermanentandseasonalresidentsexperienceddamagetotheirpropertiesandscrambledforupdates.IntheaftermathofthespringfloodingFOCAhadcontinuedonpage9Intheshortspanofoneortwogenerationsthemajorityofthe9billionpeopleonEarthwillbelivingunderthehandicapofseverepressureonfreshwateranabsolutelyessentialnaturalresourceforwhichthereisnosubstitute.Thishandicapwillbeself-inflictedandiswebelieveentirelyavoidable.Stewardshiprequiresbalancingtheneedsofhuman-kindandtheneedsofnaturethroughtheprotectionofecosystemsandtheservicesthattheyprovide.Withoutsuchadesignframeworkweanticipatehighlyfragmenteddecision-makingandthepersistenceofmaladaptiveapproachestowatermanagement.fromGlobalWaterSystemsProjectGWSPTheBonnDeclarationonGlobalWaterSecurityMay2013.Foundedin2004theGWSPisaninternationalorganizationbasedattheUniversityofBonnGermanydedicatedtomonitoringfreshwaterresourcesaroundtheglobe.www.gwsp.orgFYI