INTERNATIONAL
In order to remain a global leader in the field of water research and education, Water Institute researchers are connecting with leading water organizations from around the world to share their knowledge and innovations.
WORKING WITH OVER
20
leading water organizations from all five continents
2,400+
PAPERS PUBLISHED
by Water Institute members since 2009
49,000+
GLOBAL SCHOLARLY IMPACT
papers cited since 2009
Water Institute hosts interdisciplinary PhD summer school on Climate Change and Water Security in Urbanized Watersheds
Hosted on the University of Waterloo campus, the Water Institute’s inaugural summer school included over 30 participants from five continents and 15 countries with wide-ranging backgrounds, including the physical sciences, biologic sciences, computer sciences, social sciences, engineering and public health.
Twenty-two Waterloo Water Institute professors from all six academic faculties and nine departments/schools participated in the summer school, together with visiting professors from the University of Michigan and the University of Saskatchewan. Topics covered under the theme of climate change and water security in urbanized watersheds were diverse and included climate and hydrological modelling, ecohydrology of urbanized watersheds, land use impacts, green and grey infrastructure, climate risk economics, source water protection, watershed governance, and climate change and public health.
“Overall, this was a great summer school. I feel like I left with a comprehensive understanding of water and climate change from multiple disciplinary perspectives, as well as gaining an opportunity to meet new friends and colleagues from a wide range of different backgrounds and academic programs.”
Tatjana Milojevic, Doctoral Student, EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne)
Investigating water security in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Safe and reliable water supply and sanitation are essential for healthy communities, sustainable livelihoods, and human dignity. A lack of water security, or water insecurity, limits individual, societal and economic development.
Working in an interdisciplinary team, Derek Armitage, professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, Susan Elliott, professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Jennifer Liu, professor in the Department of Anthropology, and Roy Brouwer, professor in the Department of Economics, investigated stakeholder perceptions and attitudes towards more sustainable water pollution management in the mega-city of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Working with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor and local partners, the research, which focused on the relationship between water quality, public health and the costs of illness, informed local policymakers, industry and other stakeholders on potential options to improve the current conditions.
Promoting strong small-scale fisheries across the globe
Small-scale fisheries support over 90 per cent of the 120 million people engaged in capture fisheries globally. They also contribute two-thirds of the global fish catch destined for direct human consumption and provide critical contributions to food security, poverty alleviation, and local and national economies.
Prateep Kumar Nayak, professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, is leading the Global Partnership for Building Strong Small-Scale Fisheries Communities project that spans 12 countries and includes 95 partners, 31 universities, 15 government institutions, and 21 NGOs.
The eight-year project will critically examine factors contributing to these fisheries, and engage collaboratively with local communities to enhance their social, political, and ecological viability.
Innovative
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