POLIS Project on Ecological Governance

10/06/2026

POLIS' Kevin Kriese was recently profiled by Forestry Works For BC, discussing why wildfire treatments need to match local forest conditions-- as what works in the dry Okanagan may not work the same way in wetter forests near Smithers. His key message: "Pay attention to the forest in front of you." 🔥

A wildfire treatment that works in the Okanagan may not work the same way in a wetter forest near Smithers.

That’s something planner and wildfire analyst Kevin Kriese wants more British Columbians to understand.

The son of a logger, Kevin grew up in a small BC town and spent much of his career in provincial resource management. Today, his work with the University of Victoria’s POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project explores how we can make forests and communities more resilient to wildfire.

He also works on planning in the Burns Lake, Smithers and Houston area, helping bring wildfire knowledge into forest landscape planning.

One of his key messages? Pay attention to the forest in front of you.

Research shows that thinning followed by prescribed fire can be effective at reducing fire severity in dry forests. But Kevin explains that the evidence is more mixed in wetter forests, which have different conditions and fire histories.

“So maybe the simple answer is that people need to pay attention to their own ecosystems and not translate practices that may not be as effective in different places.”

That distinction matters in a province with such varied forests. Building wildfire resilience means understanding local conditions, choosing treatments carefully and continuing to learn from what happens on the ground.

Despite the challenges, Kevin sees progress in BC’s wildfire knowledge, tools and community awareness.

“It's not fast enough, and it's not far enough, but the upward trajectory is exceptionally positive.”

Over the next few weeks, we’ll share more of Kevin’s perspective on how homeowners, communities and the forestry sector can help reduce wildfire risk.

Learn more at https://poliswildfireproject.org/

And learn more about us https://forestryworksforbc.ca/

10/06/2026

Happening today, in one hour! Link to register here: https://uvic.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9QlhwM_oTlehlatw7cOk4w?fbclid=IwY2xjawUyGyJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR45GhjS2PIGfkXmTs6n1-cSkkqQMGXblJJ52F21OYXlnPjo2NtY1PlsgnPBcw_aem_bhUiX9kSueWMAnp1thcoLg #/registration

🎟️ SAVE THE DATE: What does "Drought Ready" really mean for British Columbia?

Drought is no longer a temporary summer problem- it's the new reality. So how do we move from crisis response, to true resilience?

Join us for our Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar, where the co-authors of our new report Drought Ready: From Crisis Response to Community and Watershed Resilience in British Columbia will share a decade of insights and their vision for a drought-ready future.

💧 What you'll learn:

🔹 How drought is changing across B.C.
🔹 How communities are responding
🔹 The provincial policy reforms needed to shift from crisis response to preparation and resilience

📅 Oct. 6, 2026 | 12:30–2 p.m. PT
📍 Online | 🎟️ Free!

🔗 Register now: https://uvic.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9QlhwM_oTlehlatw7cOk4w #/registration 💬

10/01/2026

👋 Meet the minds behind our new "Drought Ready" Report!

Next week, all five of the co-authors from our new report Drought Ready: From Crisis Response to Community and Watershed Resilience in British Columbia will come together for our Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar- and you're invited!

🔹 Rosie Simms (POLIS) — Lead author of "Drought Ready" and director of place-based projects at the POLIS Water Sustainability Project. Her work focuses on applied research and new thinking on water governance, law, and policy.

🔹 Oliver M. Brandes (POLIS) — Co-director of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at UVic's Centre for Global Studies, leading the award-winning POLIS Water Sustainability Project and POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project.

🔹 Deana Machin (POLIS) — Member of the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation, strategic advisor at POLIS, and senior Indigenous advisor at the Indigenous Watersheds Initiative, with 20+ years in fisheries management and policy.

🔹 Tom Gleeson (UVic Engineering) — Interdisciplinary scientist, engineer, and University of Victoria President's Chair in civil engineering, leading the Groundwater Science and Sustainability Research Group.

🔹 Sacha Ruzzante (UVic Engineering) — PhD candidate researching how climate change and historic droughts are affecting streams and salmon on the west coast.

Moderated by Laura Brandes (POLIS Communications Director), followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. 🎙️

📅 Oct. 6 | 🕛 12:30–2 p.m. PT | 📍 Online | 🎟️ Free

🔗 Register here https://uvic.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9QlhwM_oTlehlatw7cOk4w—and you're welcome to submit any questions in advance!

09/28/2026

🎟️ SAVE THE DATE: What does "Drought Ready" really mean for British Columbia?

Drought is no longer a temporary summer problem- it's the new reality. So how do we move from crisis response, to true resilience?

Join us for our Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar, where the co-authors of our new report Drought Ready: From Crisis Response to Community and Watershed Resilience in British Columbia will share a decade of insights and their vision for a drought-ready future.

💧 What you'll learn:

🔹 How drought is changing across B.C.
🔹 How communities are responding
🔹 The provincial policy reforms needed to shift from crisis response to preparation and resilience

📅 Oct. 6, 2026 | 12:30–2 p.m. PT
📍 Online | 🎟️ Free!

🔗 Register now: https://uvic.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9QlhwM_oTlehlatw7cOk4w #/registration 💬

09/23/2026

Drought isn't a seasonal emergency anymore, it's a year-round reality in B.C. 🌲💧

This week, POLIS' Oliver Brandes was featured in The Conversation on what British Columbia's drought crises are teaching us, and the three big shifts needed to move from crisis response to proactive drought resilience.

Read the full article here: https://theconversation.com/how-to-tackle-persistent-drought-lessons-from-british-columbia-288513

Playing out year over year, the chaotic cycle of drought crises has become a familiar experience for British Columbians.

09/18/2026

"As BC's Rivers Run Dry, Experts Say the Province Isn't Prepared" 🎙️

Coree Tull, Chair of the BC Watershed Coalition, recently joined AM 1150's The Early Edition to discuss B.C.'s ongoing drought crisis and the urgent need for the province to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive watershed sustainability planning, funding, and protection.

🎧 To listen to the interview, visit the link below, scroll down to September 10th, and click on "As BC's Rivers Run Dry, Experts Say the Province Isn't Prepared:

🔗 https://www.am1150.ca/show/the-early-edition/

Phil Johnson interviews local, national and international guests skewed towards locally-based issues. He also presents news, and information on the buzz topics of the day […]

09/16/2026

🌲🔥 NEW OP-ED in : "President Trump has a point—Canada needs a new boreal wildfire strategy."

POLIS' Kevin Kriese and Mark Zacharias co-authored a powerful new op-ed arguing that Canada needs a fundamentally new approach to boreal wildfire.

The problem: Boreal forests cover over 40% of Canada, and climate change has made wildfires more severe—causing 2,500 premature deaths and $19 billion in economic losses annually. Since 2023, boreal wildfire carbon emissions have equalled or exceeded Canada's economy-wide emissions each year. Doing nothing is no longer an option.

Three proposed shifts:
1️⃣ Reimagine forest management: Using Indigenous and prescribed fire, fire-resistant species, and targeted fuel breaks

2️⃣ Embrace new technology: Improve ignition forecasting, early detection, and rapid response to distinguish beneficial fires from dangerous ones

3️⃣ Treat wildfire as a climate opportunity: Reducing boreal wildfire emissions by just 5% would match the emissions saved by switching every Canadian household to an electric heat pump—potentially at far lower cost.

Read the full op-ed: https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/opinion-president-trump-has-a-pointcanada-needs-a-new-boreal-wildfire-strategy-12648076

Canada can rethink how forests are managed, harness new technology and treat wildfire emissions as a climate opportunity

09/14/2026

🌲🔥 POLIS' Kevin Kriese spoke with this August about Canada's wildfire mitigation and national strategy.

He discusses how the scale, scope and speed of the wildfire problem is out pacing the efforts that have been taken to improve wildfire prevention, and how a multi-barrier, whole-of-society approach is needed.

Watch the full interview (7:20) here: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7305177/

Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis.

09/11/2026

B.C. has faced high-level drought every single year since 2015. When does "crisis mode" become the new normal?

A new article in MyBulkleyLakesNow features POLIS co-director Oliver Brandes on why B.C. needs to stop reacting and start planning.

The numbers tell the story:

🔴 Nicola and Okanagan at Level 5, the highest drought rating
🔴 Salmon River protection order issued for the 4th time in 5 years, and earlier than ever
🔴 Watershed funding cut by ~80%
🔴 Watershed Security Fund covered only $6 million in grants of $27 million in community requests
🔴 B.C.'s industrial water rates among the lowest in Canada, unreviewed for a decade

The tools to act proactively already exist in the Water Sustainability Act- they just haven't been used.

📰 Read the full article: https://www.mybulkleylakesnow.com/experts-say-severe-drought-is-the-new-normal-and-b-c-s-water-strategy-is-stuck-in-crisis-mode/

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09/10/2026

: POLIS' Rosie Simms, Oliver M. Brandes, and Deana Machin are featured in this week's Tyee news, spotlighting findings from our latest drought report. The article tells the story of chinook salmon going blind in the Salmon River's warming, shrinking waters—a stark signal that B.C.'s reactive approach to drought is failing.

Key takeaways from the piece:

🔹 B.C.'s water management regime was built for a different climate
🔹 The Water Sustainability Act has powerful tools that remain largely untried 🔹 Watershed program funding has been cut by ~80% in three years
🔹 Emergency orders are being used regularly, not as the last resort they were designed to be

As Rosie puts it: "We can't be trying to fix drought in an emergency."

📖 Read the full article in The Tyee:

With fish struggling in the Salmon River, flip-flopping on emergency orders suggests a lack of preplanning, experts say.