University of Waterloo community celebrates World Water Day 2025

On March 21, the Water Institute celebrated World Water Day—an annual event bringing together students, researchers, and community members to reflect on our relationship with water. This year’s event aligned with the United Nations’ 2025 theme, Glacier Preservation, and featured insightful talks from distinguished speakers, a showcase of emerging research, and a special recognition of alumni driving change in water management.

Photo: Nathanael Bergbusch, SWIGS  Conference Co Vice-Chair, hosting the Q&A session with Dr. M Jackson.

Exploring the secret lives of glaciers

The day began with an inspiring keynote by Dr. M Jackson, a National Geographic Explorer and glaciologist. Drawing on her extensive fieldwork in the Arctic and Antarctic, Dr. Jackson shared breathtaking images captured by National Geographic photographers and compelling stories of her research on dynamic glaciers. She highlighted the threats posed by climate change, emphasizing how the retreat of glaciers is not only reshaping ecosystems but also disrupting the communities that have long depended on them. Her talk served as a powerful reminder that the fate of glaciers is intricately linked to global water security.

“Where there are glaciers there are people.” emphasized Dr. Jackson. “What is happening to our planet’s ice impacts all of us. It impacts our plant community, impacts our river community, impacts everything else."

A recording of the presentation will be available soon on the Water Institute YouTube channel.

World Water Day Student Research Showcase

Showcasing the next generation of water researchers

During the lunch break, attendees explored the Student Research Showcase, organized by the Society of the Water Institute Graduate Students (SWIGS). The showcase featured innovative research from undergraduate and graduate students, covering topics such as water pollution, climate resilience, and wetland conservation. Several students were recognized for their outstanding contributions, highlighting the strength of Waterloo’s research community in tackling today’s most pressing water challenges.

Congratulations to:

• 1st Prize: Rayden Laliberte – Assessing the water quality stratification in urban stormwater management (SWM) ponds
• 2nd Prize: Alexa Holder – Facing the flood: A proposal for amphibious architecture for Peguis, Manitoba
• People’s Choice Award: Andrii Kramarenko – Rapid assessment index to quantify the waterfowl forage value of wetland plants
• Undergraduate Prize: Hillary Sutton – Evaluating the capacity of the 2021 Prince Edward Island Water Act to accommodate and facilitate sustainable water management on Prince Edward Island

 Photo L to R:  Rayden Laliberte, Alexa Holder, Andrii Kramarenko, Hillary Sutton.

Photo: (L) Rob de Loë, Professor and Associate Dean, Research, in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, (R) Dr. Fabiola Alvarado-Revilla winner of the Collaborative Water Program (CWP) Alumni Achievement Award.

Honouring impactful alumni

Photo: (L) Rob de Loë, Professor and Associate Dean, Research, in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, R Dr. Fabiola Alvarado winner of the Collaborative Water Program (CWP) Alumni Achievement Award.

Dr. Fabiola Alvarado-Revilla was awarded the 2024-25 Collaborative Water Program (CWP) Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements in her professional career and in community service. The award was presented by Rob de Loë, her former PhD supervisor and former CWP Director.

Since completing her PhD at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Alvarado-Revilla has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the field, applying her interdisciplinary expertise to shape water policy at national and international levels. Her work with the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and, more recently, with the Independent Water Commission (IWC), has directly influenced key water sector reforms. In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Alvarado-Revilla is committed to mentorship and community engagement, supporting graduate education, student training, and local initiatives. This award celebrates her dedication to advancing equitable and effective water governance worldwide.

Photo: Dr. M Jackson and Sheila Watt-Cloutier

Re-imagining a new way forward with intention

The second keynote of the day featured Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and author of The Right to Be Cold. In a compelling talk, she wove together personal experiences and the challenges Arctic and Inuit communities face, illustrating how cold and ice are essential to their way of life. She explained that Inuit culture, food systems, and wildlife thrive in the cold, while mobility and transportation depend on the ice.

She urged attendees to rethink their relationship with the natural world and seek a new way forward. “It starts with self,” she said. “The personal transformation piece is key to any change that we are going to do on a larger scale for our common humanity.”

“We want to be teachers of sustainability because that’s who we are.” — Sheila Watt-Cloutier

The celebration continued into the evening with the SWIGS Evening Social, providing an informal space for students, faculty, and guests to connect, exchange ideas, and build lasting collaborations.

World Water Day 2025 was a testament to the power of knowledge-sharing, interdisciplinary collaboration, and collective action. As we move forward, the conversations sparked at this year’s event will continue to shape a more sustainable and water-secure future for all.