As this 3-year, provincially funded Initiative concludes, the final impacts report celebrates the achievements of 44 First Nations across B.C., and what’s needed to sustain momentum.
The final report from the Indigenous Watersheds Initiative (IWI) tells the story of the remarkable work First Nations communities in British Columbia carried out through the province’s $15 million investment in Indigenous-led watershed health and security
The multi-year funding initiative—which was one of the largest provincial investments into water security in nearly a generation—delivered a wide range of social, economic, and ecological benefits, while demonstrating pathways to advance the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Funding recipients protected and restored ecosystems, created local jobs, strengthened sustainable fisheries, to name just a few benefits. Among the positive outcomes are increased food security, expanded water monitoring, improved climate resilience, and strengthened culture and governance. These impacts will continue to ripple outwards across British Columbia for years to come.
Highlights from the Indigenous Watersheds Initiative include:
- 49 projects funded
- 44 First Nations supported
- 375 jobs supported, including 144 new jobs
- 4,800 hectares of watersheds restored across 58 sites
- $3.3 million in additional funding raised by project teams to support their work
The final outcomes report describes these results and many more, while offering a glimpse into the granting processes—including the critical role that the Indigenous Advisory Committee played—and providing recommendations for future funding. It will be complemented by a forthcoming learning report that will share insights into the fund design and structure.
While we celebrate this progress and the incredible accomplishments of project teams over the last three years, significantly more funding is required to sustain the momentum that this funding catalyzed. Since the Indigenous Watersheds Initiative was established, there has been an 80 percent drop in provincial funding for watershed security. Meanwhile, flooding, drought, and water insecurity are increasingly disrupting life in communities across Canada—underpinning just how important it is to invest in healthy watersheds.
In a time of economic uncertainty and worsening climate impacts, Canada and British Columbia need solutions that protect the lands and waters we all depend on while supporting resilient communities and local economies. The Indigenous Watersheds Initiative has shown that investing in Indigenous‑led water stewardship can do exactly that in ways that honour and advance Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
Key Facts
- The Indigenous Watersheds Initiative was a 3-year initiative (2022-2025) that funded and supported First Nations communities in British Columbia advancing watershed health and security.
- It was established through a $15 million investment from the Province of British Columbia and delivered through a partnership between MakeWay Foundation, Watersheds BC, and an Indigenous Advisory Committee.
- Funding supported 49 First Nations-led and co-led projects that fit within five thematic areas: Indigenous knowledge and land-based learning, watershed planning and governance, fisheries and food sovereignty, watershed restoration and protection, and watershed monitoring and assessment.
Media Contact