According to the World Health Organization, 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Without safe drinking water, people are at risk of contracting water-borne diseases, which are responsible for more than 3.4 million deaths each year.
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.
Last week, the Water Institute gathered University of Waterloo researchers involved in the Global Water Futures (GWF) project for a university-wide meeting to share updates and meet new members of the GWF core team.
It’s 8:00 in the morning in the Sindh province of Pakistan, and Sajida Awan is preparing to head back into the field to conduct a full day of interviews with local farmers. The temperature is rising, it will be 50 degrees Celsius by mid-day, and it will take her at least two hours to get to her location.
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.
A Canadian Water Network expert panel which includes Water Institute member and professor in Waterloo’s Department of Biology, Mark Servos, is pushing for a more holistic and localized approach to wastewater management as the list of potential contaminants flowing to treatment plants across the country continues to expand.
For Water Institute member James Craig, surface water modelling started out as a side project.
