It is my pleasure to introduce the Water Institute’s fourth annual Impact Report. The report provides examples of the scientific and societal impact that our members across the different faculties, schools and departments have made between April 2022 and March 2023.

The narratives in the Impact Report complement important quantitative performance indicators like the Shanghai Ranking, in which the University of Waterloo continues to confirm its global reputation and leading role in the Water Resources domain. The Impact Report highlights the rich diversity of available water expertise that characterizes the Water Institute’s approach to address complex water challenges in Canada and elsewhere.

Important interdisciplinary activities in the past year connecting faculty across campus, and with partners around the world, include ongoing collaborations with the Waterloo Climate Institute in our annual Summer School, the launch of the Sustainable Futures Initiative together also with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, and our bi-annual international research conference “Water as a Foundation for Healthy Communities and Sustainable Livelihoods”.

A highlight of 2022/23 was also the participation of the Water Institute’s student and faculty delegation in the UN Water Conference at the UN headquarters in New York City, the first one again since nearly 50 years.

As always, none of this impact would have been possible without the scientific excellence, hard work and dedication of our faculty members, the students coming to Waterloo to study water in all of its multi-dimensional aspects, and Water Institute staff. Enjoy reading our 2022/23 Impact Report.