Water Institute experts engage at FLOW x Massey Freshwater Symposium
On Thursday, September 25, 2025, Water Institute member Dr. Nandita Basu, Canada Research Chair in Global Water Sustainability and Ecohydrology, joined leading experts speaking at the FLOW x Massey Freshwater Symposium, Ensuring the FLOW: Water Security in Canada and the World. Hosted by the Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW) and Massey College, the invite-only gathering brought together almost 80 high-level participants, including scientists, policymakers, and leaders from national and international water organizations. Water Institute member Dr. Dustin Garrick, University Research Chair in Water and Development Policy and Director of the Collaborative Water Program, also attended alongside Dr. Basu.
Dr. Basu contributed to the panel From Source to Solution: Canada’s Global Leadership in Shaping a Sustainable Water Future, alongside Dr. James Orbinski and Dr. Corrine Schuster moderated by Emily Hines. She was also invited to participate in the President’s Freshwater Table, facilitated by Canada Water Agency President Mark Fisher, which explored best practices in water management and the role of federal leadership in strengthening water security.
The symposium’s agenda highlighted both policy and practice, with a focus on advancing water security in Canada and globally. Additional speakers included the Canadian Commissioner of the International Joint Commission, leaders of the Canada Water Agency, Minister Jay Macdonald and author John Vaillant, who delivered the keynote address.
A central theme emerging from the conversations, introduced by IJC Commissioner Merrrell Anne Phare, was the need to frame water security as a national security issue, underscoring how resilience, equity, and long-term investment must be embedded at the heart of Canada’s freshwater strategy. Dr. Basu emphasized that responding to climate change requires innovative approaches that integrate hydrological science with policy and community engagement. She highlighted the importance of care, connection, and continuity: care for communities and ecosystems, connection across science and policy, and continuity in building resilient institutions and practices.
The discussions also underscored the urgency of moving from data to knowledge to action, ensuring that monitoring and modeling efforts directly inform decisions on the ground. Dr. Basu’s insights offered a roadmap for bridging research and policy to protect freshwater resources, reflecting The Water Institute’s mission to advance sustainable water management in Canada and around the world.