Jan. 23 talk to focus on water governance

Emma S. Norman will discuss the social, political, and ecological aspects of transboundary water governance as part of the Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23 in Communications Facility 125 on the Western Washington University campus.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

In her talk titled “Indigenous Coalition Building and Transboundary Water Governance,” Norman will explore three interrelated questions: How are governance mechanisms changing to address the social, political, and ecological aspects of trans-boundary water? How are the indigenous-led governance mechanisms linked to twinned goals of ecosystem protection and processes of self-determination, empowerment, and decolonization? And, simply, what makes a good-upstream neighbor?

Norman is an assistant professor of Geography at Michigan Technological University, where she works with the Environmental and Energy Policy Program and the Great Lakes Research Center. She is also the author of “Water without Borders: Canada, the United States, and Shared Waters,” and the forthcoming “Transboundary Water Governance: Canada, the United States, and Indigenous Communities.” An alumna of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, Norman is also a former faculty member of Northwest Indian College.

The presentation will include a question-and-answer period. Anyone interested in the topic is encouraged to attend and participate. The Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

Western’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact Jen VanderWeyden at Western’s Huxley College of the Environment at 360-650-2554.