The University of Saskatchewan announced the launch of a new Global Institute for Water Security during its Water Week celebration, held March 21-25 in Saskatoon. Under the leadership of Howard Wheater, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security, the institute will be a driving force for research into global water issues that have local implications, including drought and flooding on the Prairies.
“[The new] institute will act as a catalyst for new interdisciplinary science, providing pump-priming funding to work with our provincial and federal partners to support these very large projects,” said Wheater. “We’ll be looking at some of the world’s biggest problems in water, starting with Canadian examples and issues of real importance to Saskatchewan and other Prairie provinces.”
The institute builds upon leading expertise and capacity in water research at the University of Saskatchewan, enabling the university to position itself as a leader in Canada and one of the best places to undertake freshwater research in the world.
Presently, the University of Saskatchewan has five Canada Research Chairs and one NSERC Industrial Research Chair engaging in various aspects of water research, as well as more than 70 other faculty. By 2017, the institute will bring another 85 researchers to campus—six new faculty, 20 postdoctoral fellows and 48 graduate students.
The world-class research and training institute is co-located with Environment Canada’s National Hydrology Research Centre at Innovation Place.