Upstream Development versus Downstream Risk on Transboundary Watersheds - The Taku, Stikine and Unuk rivers of north-west BC and south-east Alaska

Transboundary water governance along the BC – Alaska border is at a crossroads. The rich ecological values of the Taku, Stikine and Unuk watersheds are threatened by multiple large mine proposals in the headwaters that pose a risk to fish, wildlife, habitat, and water quality and the livelihoods and cultures that depend on them. Organizations in Alaska are advocating for a referral to the International Joint Commission under the Boundary Waters Treaty. Taking a different approach, BC and Alaska recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The question remains how development in the headwaters of BC and risks in downstream Alaska can be effectively managed.