More than 50 scientists, water managers, and advocates from around the world will gather at The Banff Centre from November 23 to 26 for a three-day summit entitled Mountains as Water Towers. Delegates will explore issues surrounding the great storage houses of fresh water in the world’s mountain regions. This Banff Mountain Summit coincides with the United Nations’ 2003 International Year of Freshwater.

"One-half of the world's people drink water that originates in mountain areas," says Bernadette McDonald, vice president, Mountain Culture, The Banff Centre. McDonald is also co-editor of Whose Water Is It?, a book of evocative and provocative essays exploring the plight of the world’s water now and into the future. The book will be officially launched at this event.

"We live in a water-hungry world," McDonald says. "As downstream demand increases, the potential for conflict over the ownership and use of that water increases. We’ll be looking at this issue and also talking about the quality and quantity of water given global climate changes and pollution levels." Other themes for discussion include watershed management, conservation and restoration, and possible solutions.

Maude Barlow (Canada) will deliver the keynote address to kick off the Summit on Sunday, November 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Eric Harvie Theatre. Barlow is national chair of The Council of Canadians, Canada’s largest public advocacy organization. She is also co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, an international civil society movement to stop the commodification of water. Sunday night tickets are $16 each.

Guest speakers for the delegate-only daytime sessions include: water resource management specialists Aaron Wolf (US) and Chuck Howard (US); water resources engineer Juan Carlos Alurralde (Bolivia); watershed management expert Hans Schreier (Canada); Ecology Professor David Schindler (Canada); economist Guillermo Rebosio Arana (Peru); and award-winning author Marq de Villiers (Canada).

A special evening event open to the public will be held Monday, November 24 at 8 p.m. featuring Canadian singer/songwriter Sid Marty along with a multi-media presentation by author Maria Coffey and photographer Dag Goering, and a slide show by renowned river conservationist, paddler, teacher, and writer Mark Angelo. Tickets are $11 each. On Tuesday, November 25 at 8 p.m. the Banff Mountain Film Festival presents a free evening (THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT) of splashes and thrills with some of the greatest water adventure films, and water-issues productions.

For tickets or information about Mountains As Water Towers call the Banff Centre Box Office at 403-762-6301 or 1-800-413-8368 or click on www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/festivals/summit/