What does it mean to plan not just for the next ten years but for the next ten generations?

In the Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds, leaders are beginning this conversation with a bold initiative that looks 250 years into the future.

The long view will be front, and centre as Syilx leaders, scientists, local governments, and international water experts gather for the siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum, hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance in recognition of World Water Day.  The two-day Forum will bring together regional and global voices to explore climate-resilient governance and collaborative watershed stewardship. The Forum will be opened by renowned Syilx Scholar lax̌lax̌tkʷ Jeannette Armstrong, PhD.

Global Perspective on Living with Less Water: Alongside regional leaders, the Forum bring will bring an international perspective with a keynote address sharing insights from the strategy adopted by Spain in the face of their water shortages. Water governance expert Nuria Hernández‑Mora, PhD will discuss her region’s process of learning to live with less water amidst a changing climate, including the roles of ecosystem-based management, economic analysis, and public participation.

Long-Term Regional Commitment to Water: The Forum will spotlight one of our regions most significant new initiatives, the Okanagan Similkameen Watershed Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT).

This milestone in regional cooperation brings together, more than 130 elected leaders from Syilx communities and neighbouring municipalities and regional districts committed to safeguarding the waters that sustain us all.  This is a Syilx guided process where leaders strengthen government-to-government relationships and work together to address shared priorities to protect and restore siwɬkʷ including kɬúsx̌nítk^w Okanagan Lake and the nməlqaytk^w Similkameen River.

For a region facing rapid population growth, intensifying drought, wildfire risk, and climate change, the stakes are high. Water systems across both watersheds are under pressure, and leaders recognize that no single government can solve these challenges alone.

“It’s amazing to see the leadership of the districts come together on an issue of common concern, and that’s water,” says y̓ilmixʷm sil-teekin Chief Greg Gabriel of Penticton Indian Band.

There is a strong foundation for watershed planning in the past and current work undertaken by both the Syilx Nation and Local Governments. Because of this foundation—and building on our collective responsibility for water.

“This is our opportunity to build a new history together,” says Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield.

The Collaborative Leadership Table is developing a Watershed Responsibility Plan with a multi-generational approach to stewardship, recognizing that decisions made today will shape the health of the watershed far beyond typical political timelines.

Forum participants will hear directly from regional leaders involved in the CLT during a special discussion moderated by CLT Co-Chair Tricia Brett, Councillor for Lake Country.

For many involved in the initiative, the message is simple but urgent.

“No life exists without water. If we don’t protect it, we’re going nowhere,” says Lake Country Mayor Blair Ireland.

The siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum brings people together around the shared goal of ensuring cold, clean, flowing water for all living things—today and for generations to come.

EVENT DETAILS 

Date: March 23-24, 2026

Location: The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna BC

REGISTRATION REQUIRED and is closing soon, get your tickets while they last! Registration extended to Thursday Evening.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION: siwɬkʷ Water & Climate Forum – Okanagan Nation Alliance

The Okanagan Similkameen Watersheds Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT) is a Syilx-guided initiative bringing Local Governments and the Syilx Nation together to protect and restore siwɬkʷ|water. Over 130 elected leaders signed the Memorandum of Agreement building government-to-government relationships honoring the jurisdictional spaces of each member government. Currently, the CLT is hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance in partnership with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program. The CLT is focused on creating a 250-Year Watershed Responsibility Plan as a means of facing the complex challenges of the region with a united response and multi-generational perspective.

Learn more about the CLT: Okanagan Similkameen Watershed Collaborative Leadership Table – Okanagan Nation Alliance

For more information please contact: 

waterforum@syilx.org

The 2026 2026 siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum would not be possible without the support of our Sponsors:

limləmt | thank you