On Monday, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced funding for almost $3M to study the effects of contaminants on aquatic ecosystems across Canada.
Four Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Masters students are the latest winners of UWaterloo's Concept $5K challenge.
In February 2021, Students of the Water Institute Graduate Section invited students in grades 4-7 in the Kitchener-Waterloo area to participate in an art contest called, Water and You. The goal of the contest was to provide students with an opportunity to learn about water-related issues while expressing their creativity by creating original artwork that directly relates to a current water issue here in Canada or globally. This year's theme was WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene).
Recognizing the inherent rights of water for global sustainability
Dr. Kelsey Leonard believes that to protect water for future generations we need to recognize its inherent rights to exist, flourish and naturally evolve. A global movement has emerged in recent years known as Rights of Nature or Earth Law whereby governments are legally recognizing the personhood of natural entities such as rivers and mountains.
Since the early days of the pandemic, Water Institute member Professor Mark Servos and his team have been applying their knowledge of measuring water contamination to help public health officials understand the movement of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – within municipal wastewater.
Roy Brouwer, Executive Director of the Water Institute at the University of Waterloo (UW) in Canada, adds: “Unfortunately, there are no studies that estimate a single constant global value in dollars or euros, since it depends on scarcity conditions, that vary around the world, the season (in summer it rises due to lower availability and in winter it decreases), pollution and excessive consumption."
Unsolved environmental problems, a national mandate to uphold treaty responsibilities and a new appreciation for positive treaty relationships are leading some water researchers to consider new approaches to their work. They are examining how water monitoring practices that are conventionally considered strong, can be improved.
Schindler conducted numerous groundbreaking studies during his career in efforts to protect freshwater around the world
Exploring our relationship to water during this year's World Water Day celebration. Join the conversation and tell us what water means to you!
Water is fundamental to human health and a key social justice issue. Lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation is one of the greatest human health and environmental threats facing the world’s most vulnerable.