Ranked among the top 10 water research institutions in the world, the Water Institute is a leader in water research and education.
Distinguished by its commitment to 1) facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration, 2) inspiring innovation and 3) building international partnerships, the Water Institute is tackling some of the most complex water challenges of our time.
The State of São Paulo, Brazil has faced severe water shortages in the recent past and may be heading towards another water crisis. During this time, the Water Institute has partnered with local stakeholders to help investigate some of the most important aspects of water security in São Paulo, and new and fortified partnerships are driving these initiatives forward.
Professor and Water Institute member Blair Feltmate says simple changes like adding curbs and water sensors can potentially save lives
When extreme weather hits Canada you can count on several things appearing in the media. Images of swollen rivers, flooded homes, brave first-responders, and University of Waterloo researcher Blair Feltmate clearly and passionately articulating the very real threat our communities face from climate change.
Last year Waterloo's Department of Economics launched a new graduate and undergraduate elective course on Water Resources Economics (ECON 484/673). The course was developed and taught by Economics professor and executive director of the Water Institute, Roy Brouwer. Although water is often an applied topic in environmental or resource economics courses, offering water resources economics as a full academic course is relatively new.
When nature calls…
…we need a toilet. But billions of people don’t have one.
Freshwater fish provide diverse ecosystem services. Yet, freshwater fish and fisheries are not often a national or regional governance priority and as a result, freshwater fisheries are undervalued and largely overlooked. Due to lack of reliable data, freshwater fisheries have never been part of any high profile global fisheries assessment and are notably absent from the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) offers a variety of prestigious medals and awards recognizing outstanding achievements of Canadian researchers. It is a responsibility of Fellows of the RSC to nominate candidates for these honours, and they are explicitly invited to do so every year.
Earlier this year, Water Institute member Keith Hipel, professor in Waterloo's Department of Systems Design Engineering, was awarded the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal for significant contributions to the resolution of scientific aspects of environmental problems or for important improvements to the quality of an ecosystem in all aspects — terrestrial, atmospheric and aqueous — brought about by scientific means.
On November 29, professor Hipel will deliver the Miroslaw Romanowski Lecture at the University of Waterloo: "Negotiations over Groundwater Contamination."
