News

While microplastics are considered an ‘emerging contaminant’, they have been found nearly everywhere, even in so-called pristine locations like Antarctica and the human placenta. This ‘emerging contaminant’ status does not mean that plastic is a new problem—Canadian plastic production has increased by 230-fold since the 1950s.

Satellite data provides first evidence of ocean water intrusion beneath Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier 

Waterloo Engineering's Vision and Image Processing Research Lab partners with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to boost whale-spotting efficiency with machine learning 

The University is partnering with HI3 Hub to improve wastewater detection and analysis of pathogens

Navya Vikraman Nair, PhD candidate in the Collaborative Water Program and School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, has been chosen as one of the top ten Young Water Sustainability Leaders 2024 by The World Water Forum.

Congratulations to Water Institute member Marek Stastna, professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics, on being awarded $1.65 million in funding for a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program.

Wetlands have garnered recognition for their significant contribution to the pursuit of net-zero emissions as they can proficiently store carbon over time. However, it is imperative to note that these ecosystems emit substantial amounts of greenhouse gases. In fact, wetlands are the largest single source of methane (a stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide)!

The European Geosciences Union (EGU), the leading organization for Earth, planetary and space science research in Europe, has awarded the 2024 Jim Dooge Award to Water Institute member Juliane (Julie) Mai, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The award was announced April 16^th at the 2024 EGU general assembly in Vienna, Austria.

The Water Institute is pleased to announce that Waterloo is poised to continue its leadership in water research and education with the announcement of the Global Water Futures Observatories (GWFO) project supported by generous funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation Major Science Initiatives Fund and GWFO partner institutions. This new $40.67M project will continue the legacy of the Global Water Futures program from 2023 to 2029.

Dr. Roy Brouwer, Water Institute Executive Director, Professor and University Research Chair in Water Resources Economics, will be testifying April 18^th before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development as part of a panel of witnesses called to share their views on the state of freshwater in Canada.