News

Water economics students visit a local wastewater treatment plant.

In an era defined by the complex interplay of climate change, population growth, and globalization, efficient and equitable management of water resources is more crucial than ever. Water scarcity, pollution, and unequal access to water and sanitation have emerged as pressing issues, underscoring the necessity for a well-prepared workforce armed with a deep understanding of water economics.

Ecuadorians voted on Sunday to stop an oil-drilling project in the Yasuni region of the Amazon with 59% voting yes on a proposition that will end the practice.

Dr. Roy Brouwer, an environmental economist at the University of Waterloo, who conducted a study on the economic value of the Amazon rainforest, says that Indigenous populations tend to place an extremely high value on the environmental sanctity of the forest. 

“They've lived in the Amazon for 11,000 years. How are you going to compensate these people by taking away their livelihood, cutting the forest and having them move out of the area where they live for 11,000 years? There's no monetary compensation for that.”

Read the full article in Time here.

On September 19, the University of Waterloo launched the Sustainable Futures initiative; -  a collaboration that brings together the Water institute, the Waterloo Climate Institute and the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy  to accelerate holistic approaches to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a f

From September 26 until September 28, a diverse group of academics, practitioners and policymakers from around the world attended the biennialWater Institute 2022 Research Conference - Water as a Foundation for Healthy Communities and Sustainable Livelihoods.

Roy Brouwer, the executive director of the Water Institute and a professor of economics says although Canada has an abundance of water, there is a threat of water insecurity because it's not just the quantity, it's also the quality. (CBC)

Water as a foundation for healthy communities and sustainable livelihoods

This three-day international conference will explore progress against the UN’s SDGs at the intersection of water, health, food and gender through the work of international experts and early career scholars from Canada, Africa and Asia who will share research experiences and lessons learned from a variety of multi-sectoral projects led by academic and local partners.

In the media:

Download the audio clip here.

The Canadian environmental organization Pollution Probe has recently released a new report, Mapping Phosphorus Flows in the Ontario Economy: Exploring Nutrient Recovery and Reuse Opportunities in a Provincial Context, produced in collaboration with academic experts from the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute, Université Laval and McGill University.

Roy Brouwer, Executive Director of the Water Institute and University Research Chair in Water Resources Economics, contributed to an article recently published by Great Lakes Now, an initiative of Detroit Public TV and PBS.

The article is part of a two-part series looking at the cost of water in Ontario and Michigan.