The Water Institute at the University of Waterloo is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Nandita Basu as its new Director. Her three-year term begins November 1, 2026.
New and renewed research chairs recognize contributions to freshwater health, Indigenous water governance and climate resilience
“Pi en Ngima. Maji ni Uhai. Water is Life.”
At a recent water stakeholders’ meeting in Kisumu City, Kenya, participants were asked to translate “Water is Life” into their mother tongue. The responses: “Pi en Ngima” in Dholuo, “Maji ni Uhai” in Kiswahili, and “Water is Life” in English, all carried the same undeniable truth. No matter the language, the message is clear: water is essential for all living things. Yet, for millions across Africa, this fundamental necessity remains out of reach.
Taking inspiration from nature, Water Institute researcher Yimin Wu, Professor and Tang Family Chair in New Energy Materials and Sustainability, and his research team have developed a hydrogel that mimics sea cucumbers’ ability to change stiffness to help repair damaged tendons and other soft tissues. The material provides temporary support for new tissue growth, then gradually breaks down and is absorbed by the body.
More than 120 members of the global water community came together on October 1 for an international webinar exploring how organizations can make hydrological data easier to discover, access, share and reuse across different systems and jurisdictions.
The webinar, “Unlocking the Power of Hydrological Data: Empowering People, Enabling Applications, Informing Policy, and Protecting the Environment,” was organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in collaboration with the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute, Global Water Futures Observatory, DataStream, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI) and government partners.
For many Canadians, turning on a tap or accessing a washroom is an unremarkable part of daily life. Yet water researchers increasingly recognize that access to water is closely tied to dignity, health, and social equity. New research led by Julius Jebuni suggests that, in some parts of the world, the consequences of water insecurity extend even further: into the realm of gender-based violence.
New research shows fluctuating water tables can accelerate contaminant breakdown
Old petroleum spills can continue to contaminate soil and groundwater for decades, making remediation slow, costly and difficult to predict. New research from the Ecohydrology Research Group shows that a natural process, the rise and fall of the water table, can significantly influence how quickly petroleum contaminants breakdown.
The University of Waterloo’s Collaborative Water Program (CWP) has been named a finalist in the Education category of the 2026 Water Canada Awards, recognizing more than a decade of innovation and leadership in interdisciplinary water education.
Professor Monica Emelko, a member of The Water Institute’s Board of Directors, has been recognized with the prestigious Norman J. Howard Award from the Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA) for her outstanding contributions to municipal water supply, research, and the advancement of the water profession.
Twice a day, the ocean lifts a glacier. The movement is small, sometimes only a few centimeters. It happens quietly, far from cities and coastlines. But along the edges of glaciers, these subtle tidal pulses help control how quickly ice flows into the sea.
Working with Dr. Wesley Van Wychen, Dr. Jae Hun Kim studies how glaciers in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic respond to the rhythm of the tides. Using radar, he tracks the grounding line, the place where a glacier lifts off bedrock and begins to float. This narrow boundary plays a crucial role in glacier mass loss.