Water as a Social Opportunity

Based on a workshop held at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, on November 1, 2011.

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Often when water is thought about, the focus is on problems, challenges, and crises. In November 2012, a group of researchers came together at Queen's University with the idea that it is more illuminating and constructive to think about water as an opportunity. Water as a Social Opportunity conveys the idea that the ways in which society responds to water-related challenges has the potential to yield a variety of positive outcomes not just for water, or the economy, but for society more broadly. Contributors consider water issues across Canada from this original perspective, and suggest this concept as a basis for developing a long-overdue national water strategy in Canada.