Dr. Dawn Keim (left), Global Water Futures program director Dr. Howard Wheater and Dr. Jay Sagin examine water from the South Saskatchewan River.
Canada is seen as a land of great lakes and mighty rivers, but rapid rates of global warming and increasing human impacts on land and water are putting the country – and other cold regions of the world – at unprecedented risk for floods, droughts and other serious water security challenges.
That's why the University of Saskatchewan's $143-million Global Water Futures (GWF) project is so critical for Canada and beyond.
Awarded $77.8-million from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), GWF aims to transform the way communities, governments and industries in Canada and other cold regions of the world prepare for and manage increasing water-related threats in the face of climate change.
Led by the U of S Global Institute for Water Security and three key university partners – Waterloo, McMaster and Wilfrid Laurier – GWF is one of the largest research collaborations in the world, with 380 researchers in Canada alone and numerous industrial, academic and government partner organizations around the globe.
"No institution nationally or internationally has assembled such a large-scale and multidisciplinary water research initiative of this kind," says Howard Wheater, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security and GWF program director.
The need for GWF is underscored by the increasing incidence of natural disasters related to water and climate such as the southern Ontario drought this summer, the Fort McMurray fires in May and both the Alberta and Toronto floods of 2013, to name a few.
"The costs of these disasters are extraordinarily high and could be reduced by improved forecasting, community planning and water management," says John Pomeroy, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change, and GWF associate program director.
He notes that half the world's water comes from cold regions. Yet as the climate warms, Canada's glaciers, frozen ground and snowpacks are diminishing, resulting in earlier and often smaller streamflows. "We simply have not properly looked after water, our most precious natural asset," Dr. Pomeroy says.
RESEARCH BUILDS MY FARMING COMMUNITY |
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 Crop scientist Simon Bonin and cranberry farmer Olivier Pilotte stand knee-deep in a flooded field in the rural municipality of Lourdes on the south shore of the St. Lawrence near Quebec City. It’s the heartland of a cranberry growing district that has expanded spectacularly in the last 15 years with research carried out at the Université Laval and the establishment of the Fruit d’Or processing company at Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. |
RESEARCH BUILDS OUR COMMUNITIES Featuring stories of how research enabled by CFI funding is touching Canadians and their communities. |
Water quality is also a serious issue in some areas. "The drinking water problems of many rural areas and especially First Nations communities are unacceptable," he adds.
GWF will provide new scientific information, prediction tools and community-based solutions to ensure water security. Specifically, GWF will dramatically improve understanding of water, weather, climate, aquatic ecosystems and how humans can sustain healthy water environments.
"We will use this world-leading science and unprecedented water data to develop new computer models to forecast flooding, droughts, water supply and water quality, and better manage water," says Dr. Pomeroy.
In particular, GWF will help initiate Canada's first national water disaster warning system through the creation of new forecasting tools and water-measurement technology.
"We will help make Canada a nation that has the capacity to sustainably manage its water, reduce its exposure to natural disasters and sustain a remarkably high quality of life, economic activity and ecosystem conservation," he says.
The program will also train hundreds of students, scientists and engineers in addressing water-related threats.
"Water security is one of the most pressing issues around the world," says Holly Annand, a U of S doctoral student studying the impact of changing climate and agricultural practices on prairie hydrology. "I see this project as a necessary step towards engaging people from multiple sectors to do their very best to preserve and protect water resources for the future – and not just for their own individual or immediate needs."
Ultimately, GWF will promote development of a national water policy "so that Canada better governs itself as a healthy water nation," says Dr. Pomeroy. "With GWF, Canada becomes a water solutions country that others will look to as an example of how to do it right and a source of answers for difficult water challenges."
History Highlights
The Canada Foundation for Innovation's success is based on giving researchers the tools they need to think big and conduct world-class research.
1997
A bold vision
The CFI is established with a five-year mandate, $800-million and grand plans to reshape Canada's research landscape.
1999
Bringing scientists back
The CFI's first report on results points out the beginning of a brain drain reversal thanks to the attractive research facilities now available in Canada.
2001
A funding milestone
By March 2001, the CFI has invested $873-million in almost 1,200 projects.
2002
Online storytelling
The CFI launches an online magazine, Innovation Canada, in keeping with the times and to keep readers up to date with Canadian research.
2004
Tackling big health issues
The CFI launches a fund to support large-scale research hospital projects and to help conduct world-class health research.
2013
Cars of the future
Lighter, faster, safer cars are no longer a dream for the future thanks to a funding boost through Automotive Partnership Canada.
2015
Recognizing innovation
The CFI becomes a founding partner of the Governor General's Innovation Awards and responsible for managing the adjudication process.
2016
Gearing up for 20 years
Celebrations for the CFI's 20th anniversary begin with a fresh new website full of stories of how research builds communities across Canada.
This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.