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Innovations in Water and Environmental Planning in Mediterranean-Climate Systems: Experiences in California and Portugal

A conference at University of California at Berkeley 17-18 April 2003

Mediterranean-climate landscapes are characterized by high seasonal and inter-annual variability in water availability, conditions to which aquatic ecosystems and traditional human cultures have adapted in a variety of ways. However, many of the environmental regulations promulgated from Washington DC and Brussels implicitly assume the Atlantic climate prevailing in seat of power, and apply poorly to Mediterranean system, especially with regard to management of water resources and understanding ecological impacts of alterations to the natural hydroscape. With increasing urbanization, attitudes towards river and streams have evolved, with increasing interest in ecological and recreational functions of urban waterways, developments visible in California, and more recently in Portugal. In addition, environmental decision making has evolved in recent years from top-down dictates to more participatory and collaborative processes, as illustrated by recent high-profile water management decisions in Portugal and California.

This conference will present results of research on recent developments in environmental planning and analysis of impacts in water-related issues in Mediterranean climates. The conference will be interdisciplinary, and will foster interactions among diverse participants. The conference will include invited presentations, structured discussion, and contributed papers and posters, and will be published in a proceedings volume by the University of California.

The conference is structured to feature 2-4 papers on related topics each morning or afternoon, followed by prepared comments by respondents, and then open discussion.

Organizing Committee

G. Mathias Kondolf

Associate Professor Environmental Planning and Geography

Chair Portuguese Studies Program, UCB

Judith Innes

Professor of City and Regional Planning

Director, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, UCB

Lia Vasconcelos

Department of Sciences and Environmental Engineering

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Graça Saraiva

Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Technical University of Lisbon (UTL)

Researcher, CESUR, Instituto Superior Tecnico, UTL

Idalina Baptista

Department of Exact and Technological Sciences

Universidade Aberta, Lisboa

Day One

• 0900 Welcome
  Dean David Leonard
• 0915 How Mediterranean-climate rivers differ physically and ecologically
  Vince Resh.
• 0945 Scale and social values in Mediterranean-climate water
  Jeff Romm
• 1015 Discussion
  led by Adina Merelander
• 1030 Break
• 1100 Changing values, economies, perspectives on California water
  Peter Gleick
• 1130 Environmental water policies Portugal-California
  Cecília Collados and Lia Vasconcelos
• 1200 Discussion
  led by Tim Ramirez
• 1230 Lunch Break
• 1400 New opportunities for urban streams
  California: Louise Mozingo
  Portugal: Maria da Graça Saraiva.
• 1500 Discussion
  led by Matt Kondolf and Vince Resh
• 1530 Break
• 1615 Agricultural change and desertification in Portugal
  Isabel Ramos
• 1645 Vineyard expansion in Sonoma County, California
  Adina Merelander
• 1715 Discussions
  led by Patrick Wright and Jeff Romm
• 1800-2000 Poster Session and reception

Day Two

• 0900 Large water projects in Mediterranean climate rivers
  Matt Kondolf
• 0920 The Calfed Bay-Delta program
  Patrick Wright
• 1000 Discussion
  led by Robert Twiss
• 1030 Break
• 1100 Collaborative water policy making in California
  Judith Innes and Sarah Connick.
• 1130 Integrated evaluation for sustainable river basin governance
  Gonçalo Lobo
• 1230 Lunch Break
• 1330 Alqueva Dam, Portugal
  João Bernardo
• 1400 The Spanish Hydrological Plan, Ebro River
  Narcis Prat, Michael Hanemann, and Alex Horne
• 1500 Discussion
  led by Tim Ramirez
• 1530 Break
• 1615 Muddling through complex contexts
  Lia Vasconcelos and Idalina Baptista
• 1645 Small groups work to develop conference conclusions
• 1715 Conclusions
  led by Judith Innes