Reflections on Recent Developments in Watershed Management in Ontario and Their Implications for Natural Areas Management(1)‪.‬

Abstract This paper considers recent developments that are relevant to watershed and natural areas management at two scales: internationally and in the province of Ontario. First, the paper describes the concept of sustainable development and watershed management. Literature from the Earth Summit in 1992, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, and the 3rd World Water Forum in 2003 is used to establish a foundation to examine the concept and practice of watershed planning. Second, the paper outlines the evolution of watershed planning in Ontario between 1993 and 2003. Three documents are used to frame the recent evolution of watershed planning in Ontario and to consider the implications, including those for natural area management in Ontario. The paper concludes with observations about the implications of these developments and some future directions are described. The latter include a shift in focus from biophysical aspects to human health considerations, and an increased use of risk assessments rather than impact assessments.