Co-design of water services and infrastructure for Indigenous Canada: A scoping review

Abstract

There is movement in engineering fields and in Indigenous communities for enhancement of local participation in the design of community infrastructure. Inclusion of community priorities and unique cultural, spiritual, and traditional values harmonize the appearance, location, and functionality of developments with the social and cultural context in which they are built and contribute to holistic wellness. However, co-design processes that align community values and the technical needs of water facilities are difficult to find. A scoping review was conducted to explore the state of knowledge on co-design of water infrastructure in Indigenous Canada to build a knowledge base from which practices and processes could emerge. The scoping results revealed that articles and reports emerged only in recent years, contained case studies and meta-reviews with primary (qualitative) data, and involved community members in various capacities. Overall, 13 articles were reviewed that contributed to understanding co-design for water infrastructure in Indigenous Canada. Barriers to co-design included funding models for Indigenous community infrastructure, difficulties in engineers and designers understanding Indigenous worldviews and paradigms, and a lack of cooperation among stakeholders that contribute to ongoing design failures. A working definition of co-design for Indigenous water infrastructure is presented.

A Stakeholder-Systems Analysis of Water Provision in Rural Alaska

“…Many studies have examined water infrastructure from various perspectives. 14,33,34 Such studies have evaluated planning, 35 design, 36 and resilience of water utilities. 37 Many studies focus on urban infrastructure, assessing deteriorating water networks and health impacts on communities.…”

“…Many studies have examined water infrastructure from various perspectives. ,, Such studies have evaluated planning, design, and resilience of water utilities . Many studies focus on urban infrastructure, assessing deteriorating water networks and health impacts on communities. − This study departs from existing literature by focusing on professionals supporting water provision in rural Alaska communities.…”

Drinking Water Consumption Patterns: An Exploration of Risk Perception and Governance in Two First Nations Communities

“…While there is broad recognition of these factors globally, are these factors able to explain patterns of drinking water consumption in Indigenous communities in the Mackenzie River Basin? Although there are emerging interdisciplinary and solutions-oriented studies that consider cultural perspectives [21][22][23], the majority of research related to drinking water in Indigenous communities has dealt with technical and regulatory issues of drinking water service and infrastructure. Although there are a growing number of ethnographic and qualitative studies that indicate perception or drinking water quality varies across cultures [10,22,24], few studies have been done at a population scale with the intention of understanding the interconnected factors that affect who and why individuals may be more or less likely to drink bottled water than water from the home or their local environment (i.e., the land).…”

Indigenizing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programmed Engineering Education Curriculum, Challenges and Future Potentials

“…Friesen et al have examined the outcomes of increasing concepts of Indigenous concerns and knowledge in several design, capstone, and theoretical courses [7]. Work has also been done to inspect the integrations of learning modules and technical courses that are woven with Indigenous topics [8], [9]. In the United States and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), discussions have been done to compare engineering and Native American philosophies of learning [10], increase recruitment of underrepresented and minority groups [11], explore how to engage with Native American communities and culture [12], and conduct participatory research with the communities [13].…”