News

Filter by:

Limit to items where the date of the news item:
Date range
Limit to items where the date of the news item:
Limit to news where the title matches:
Limit to news items tagged with one or more of:
Limit to news items where the audience is one or more of:

Underscores value of citizen science and linking with stakeholders to refine and share research results

Nearly 95,700 Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup volunteers hauled approximately 263,000 kilograms of litter from Ontario shorelines between 2010-17. Volunteer citizen scientists have logged the amounts and types of litter they have found during their community cleanups, however this information has not often been utilized by researchers to explore notable trends over extended time periods.

The State of São Paulo, Brazil has faced severe water shortages in the recent past and may be heading towards another water crisis. During this time, the Water Institute has partnered with local stakeholders to help investigate some of the most important aspects of water security in São Paulo, and new and fortified partnerships are driving these initiatives forward.

There are 700 million people in 43 countries currently suffering from water scarcity. By 2025, 1.8 billion people are expected to be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity.

On June 17-20, Water Institute members and water experts from around the world are gathering in Toronto to discuss issues of water security at the First International Conference on Water Security.

Elaine Ho, PhD student in Waterloo’s School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, has always had an affinity for water. As a child, Elaine was fascinated at the world beneath the surface that is so different from our own.

Facilitating and promoting interdisciplinary water research and education is a primary role of the Water Institute at the University of Waterloo. On a regular basis, the Water Institute brings an RBC Visiting Fellow to campus to stimulate discussion and the exploration of collaborative research opportunities with Water Institute faculty and students.

One of Canada’s greatest natural resources doesn’t need mining or refining, it just needs researchers to help us leave it alone.

Maria Strack
The true north strong and free. It’s a well-worn phrase evoking soaring mountains, verdant forests, rocky coasts and golden plains. But Canada also has a massive wet, marshy, boggy, ignored landscape known as peatlands. They may not have made it into our national anthem, but according to Water Institute member and professor in Waterloo's Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Maria Strack, they could be one of Canada’s secret weapon to fight climate change.  

Glaciers can warn us about the looming dangers of climate change, but it takes a multidisciplinary scientist (with a warm jacket) to interpret the message.

Christine making Maria LaughGlaciers may have the reputation of moving slowly, but deep below them, unseen by humans, things are moving more quickly every day. Global warming is melting our glaciers, creating streams of icy water and slush below the surface. If this water spreads out, it can lubricate the ice above it and cause the glaciers to flow faster. While this melt and the resulting glacier flow tells scientists how fast our climate is changing, it’s up to a new breed of scientist to tell us how fast we need to act. 

Friday, February 2, marked the Ecohydrology Research Group’s sixth annual World Wetlands Day (WWD) celebration at the University of Waterloo. This year’s program featured research presentations, three-minute student presentations, a student poster competition, and an evening public lecture. The symposium had over 90 registrants and was attended by researchers from various universities across southwestern Ontario as well as members of the general public. The MP of Waterloo, Bardish Chagger, even Tweeted about the event: