News

Water Institute member explains how and why during 40th annual Forest Industry  Lecture

On November 2, 2017, Waterloo Engineering professor and Water Institute member, Monica Emelko, delivered the 40th annual Forest Industry Lecture at the University of Alberta, "Strategic Importance of Canada’s Forests in National Drinking Water Security." The lecture is now available online (see bel

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.

Glaciers 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. 

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Don Cowan and Emeritus Ric Holt among six nationally honoured recipients.

Written by Christian Aagaard

Ellsworth LeDrew has a scene on his mind.

A party of Inuit hunters sets out from a settlement. One of them stops, pulls out a smart phone and snaps a picture of a crack in the shore ice that affects his route.

As the world scrambles to adapt to extreme weather, one researcher looks deeper into what’s working, what’s not, and how we can better plan for sustainable urban futures.

Water Institute member Daniel Scott see tourism as both a victim of – and contributor to – climate change.

Climate change is threatening the viability of both the Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games, according to a study by a multinational team of researchers led by the University of Waterloo. The Paralympics, co-located with the Olympic Winter Games since 1992, but traditionally held closer to spring, is particularly vulnerable to a warming climate.  

On February 8, Water Institute member Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation, was a witness to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources discussion of a study on the effects of transitioning to a low carbon economy. The study looks at five key sectors responsible for 80 per cent of our emissions: electricity, oil and gas, transportation, buildings and trade-exposed industries, and how they can contribute to meeting Canada's emission goals.

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: