Roy Brouwer appointed to International Joint Commission Science Advisory Board

Roy Brouwer, Professor in the Department of Economics, University Research Chair in Water Resources Economics, and Executive Director of the Water Institute, has been appointed to the Science Advisory Board – Science Priority Committee of the International Joint Commission (IJC), a binational partnership between Canada and the United States managing shared waters.

Established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, the IJC works to investigate, resolve, and prevent disputes over boundary waters. Canada and the United States share an 8,891 km border, approximately 43% of which follows lakes and rivers.

Brouwer specializes in environmental economics to support sustainable development and water resources management, with particular expertise in water resource valuation, hydro-economic modeling, and water policy instruments. He will serve a two-year term starting April 1, 2025.

“I’m honoured to join the Science Advisory Board. I look forward to contributing and helping guide decisions that protect these critical freshwater resources,” said Brouwer.

Brouwer joins University of Waterloo colleagues Nandita Basu and Rebecca Rooney on the Science Advisory Board, highlighting the University of Waterloo’s leadership in water research and policy.

The IJC has two main responsibilities: approving projects that affect water levels and flows across the boundary and investigating transboundary water issues to recommend solutions. Its decisions consider a wide range of water uses, including drinking water, commercial shipping, hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, ecosystem health, industry, fishing, recreational boating, and shoreline property concerns.

As a member of the Science Priority Committee, Brouwer will help shape research priorities that support sound transboundary policy and sustainable management of the Great Lakes, one of the world’s most vital freshwater ecosystems.