University of Waterloo community celebrates World Water Day

It all starts with water. Water is the essence of life and supports global resilience.

On World Water Day, March 22, the Water Institute brought more than 250 people together to celebrate water and raise awareness about the need to unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource. This included 60 youth from Six Nations Polytechnic and Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School in Brantford.

This year’s celebration focused on two themes: The role of youth in shaping our water future, and the University of Waterloo’s research contributions to water security in Canada and abroad.

The morning session featured a circle talk with Autumn Peltier, a 19-year-old international Indigenous Rights and Water activist. She described how she was drawn towards advocacy at a young age. By the time she was 13, she had already been invited to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. Autumn’s work continues to this day, even as an undergraduate student in criminology.

Circle Talk with Autumn Peltier at the Water Institute's 2024 World Water Day celebration.

Autumn encouraged everyone to find their own path towards advocacy. It’s a lesson she learned from her grandmother, Josephine Mandamin, whose mission involved raising awareness about the sacredness of water as the “Grandmother Water Walker.” Autumn found her unique voice through letter writing and public speaking. Just as she found her way, she encouraged youth to join the movement in a way that resonates with them.

Autumn’s message was ultimately one of hope and dedication to water. “There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we step outside of ourselves to advocate and be of service to others, and this impact is amplified when we reach across barriers to learn from each other and life one another up,” reflected Scarlett van Berkel, one of the facilitators of the circle talk.

During the lunch break, the Society of the Water Institute Graduate Students (SWIGS) hosted a research showcase that featured over 40 undergraduate and graduate student posters. Four participants were recognized for their outstanding contributions including Sarah Kowalczyk, Jordan Li, Laura Anderson, and finally Raisa Islam with the Best Poster prize.

The afternoon session offered an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the $353 million Global Water Futures program and its contributions to water security in Canada and abroad. As one of the program’s primary partners, the University of Waterloo was able to train over 300 water scientists, invest over $2 million into new facilities and equipment, and leverage a further $114 million in funding to support ongoing water research.

A distinguished panel of five faculty members shared short stories about their impact-driven research. University of Waterloo researchers described how they worked with 114 external partners to co-create solutions to water challenges such as harmful algal blooms, shoreline erosion, and drinking water protection. Their work is improving the daily lives of Canadians not only in the Great Lakes region, but across Canada and internationally.

It was an inspiring day of reflection, and a celebration of the University of Waterloo’s role in ushering in a new era of resilience, innovation, and sustainable water management in Canada.

Photo: Securing Canada’s water future panel (Left to Right) Kerry Freek, Director, Marketing and Communications, XPV Water Partners, Philippe Van Cappellen, Canada Research Excellence Chair Laureate in Ecohydrology, Claude Duguay, Professor, University Research Chair in Cryosphere & Hydrosphere from Space, David Rudolph, Professor, Groundwater, Jimmy Lin, Professor, Computer Science, Merrin Macrae, Professor, Hydrology and Biogeochemistry, Nandita Basu, Professor, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Water Sustainability and Ecohydrology.

Special thanks to our World Water Day SWIGS volunteers.

If you were unable to join us this year, please visit our YouTube channel to view recordings of the events.