Global Leader in Cold Regions Water Science

Laurier partners in largest university-led water research program ever funded worldwide

Canada is experiencing some of the world’s most rapid warming, which is having a profound impact on its water resources. The country is facing a future of floods, droughts and other extreme water events, including changes in the predictability of water quality and quantity. In 2016, the Government of Canada, through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, provided a $78-million investment to Global Water Futures (GWF), one of the largest water science collaborations in the world.

A partnership between Laurier, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Waterloo, and McMaster University, the seven-year program will transform the way communities, governments and industries in Canada and other cold regions worldwide predict and manage increasing water-related threats associated with global warming.

Using GWF support, Laurier researchers will investigate critical water issues, discover solutions to water crises northern communities are grappling with, and find answers to questions about the ecosystems that depend on Canada’s water resources. Laurier’s involvement in GWF will bolster the longstanding Government of the Northwest Territories-Laurier Partnership, helping inform the decisions of Canada’s northern governments, businesses and communities to create a sustainable future.

Learn more about Laurier's northern research initiatives.