Fire | Water | Earth | Air
Life on land depends on the movement of the water cycle in the climate system essentially meaning water is life... We all depend on water for food and drinking and thus our survival. With increasing world temperatures, water will be more likely to evaporate and create more rain and more floods. BC's glaciers and melting faster than they can regenerate. These changes in the water cycle could cause damage to ecosystems and infrastructure and create water shortages.
Kanaka is taking proactive measures to ensure water security for Kanaka Bar.
WATER MONITORING
There are five creeks surrounding Kanaka and through our traditional knowledge, we know that there has always been water year-round, even during the driest of droughts. Although climate change has presented us with the unique challenge of a changing water cycle. Kanaka has installed water gaging stations in the Mornelyn and Nkleptum creeks (two of Kanaka's main water source providers) in 2017, Siwash creek in 2011 and Kwioek creek in 2005 with the purpose of monitoring the stream flow levels and to ensure that we have water data evidence and knowledge of any changes. Kanaka is also looking into monitoring glacier mass loss within our traditional territory. Based on the Preliminary Strategic Risk Assessment for BC, it is predicted that by 2050 the province's glaciers will have an estimated 30-50% mass loss. While this may have low risks today, Kanaka will begin to monitor them as a precaution as well as ensuring the loss is within the estimate by the province.
WATER STORAGE AND IRRIGATION
Kanaka has made it a priority to install three raw waterlines for agricultural purposes - Food self-sufficiency has been a major goal for Kanaka with progress shown in the development in our food forests, greenhouses, chicken and beekeeping. Expanding into agriculture has been proven successful and we will continue building upon our food self-sufficiency goals. With that a need for water sources has been presented - it doesn't make sense to continue to water our gardens with treated drinking water when a raw waterline provides wonderful nutrients for farming. Saving the treated drinking water for the consumers is critical when drought comes around. With the approach of the adverse side effects like flooding and drought, Kanaka is going to be prepared. To ensure the year-round water security we've experienced for millennia water storage is critical. Warmer springs will bring drier summers so the likelihood of seasonal and longterm water shortages increases.