UCalgary addresses big water challenges through global collaborations

This summer, Albertans were reminded of the importance of water security when drought and water shortages led to increased concern around water usage. These concerns underscore a broader conversation about our relationship with water, its impact on our lives and how we manage this precious resource.  

“Whenever water restrictions hit, people suddenly become aware of how essential water is to daily life. It’s not just about availability, but how we manage and protect our water resources,” says Dr. Kerry Black, PhD, an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in the Schulich School of Engineering.  

Adds Dr. Martyn Clark, PhD, a hydrologist and Schulich Research Chair in Environmental Prediction: “Short-term restrictions are a glimpse into the future if we don’t effectively adapt to change.”    

Both Black and Clark are set to take the stage at UCalgary’s upcoming Oct. 22 Creating Tomorrow series event focused on water research. Black will share a keynote presentation and join Clark, UCalgary President Ed McCauley and two additional water experts in a lively panel discussion. 

Complex issues, complex solutions 

Water is not a local issue, but a global one requiring complex solutions. Changing water-related hazards, such as floods and droughts, highlight the importance of water security research. Located near the Rocky Mountains, the hydrological apex of North America, UCalgary is uniquely situated to research emergent water-sustainability and security solutions.  

“The University of Calgary is a global hub. A lot of people are coming internationally to work with us and we’re building a lot of coalitions that are enabling us to address some of the big water challenges we have,” says Clark.  

Addressing water security issues requires more than just technical solutions. Black stresses the importance of a transdisciplinary approach. “It’s not just an engineering or science problem; it’s a problem for all of us,” she explains. “We need to look at water through different lenses, including social innovation, to understand how we can contribute to finding solutions.”  

Emphasizing the importance of collaboration in solving water issues, Clark says, “The problems we’re facing are too big for any one group or country to solve alone.”  

Creating Tomorrow 

It’s in the spirit of transdisciplinary collaboration that UCalgary is hosting its next Creating Tomorrow event at TELUS Spark Science Centre to bring together leaders and researchers to discuss strategies for ensuring a sustainable water future.   

“I’m most excited about the opportunity to bring together so many different ways of knowing and doing around water into one space, and showcase the momentum that we have at the University of Calgary around water research — that we are thinking about things differently, that we are a powerhouse of water researchers who are also really trying to do research differently to make it actionable, to make it relevant,” says Black. 

Adds Clark: “Creating Tomorrow is going to be a celebration of what we’ve been able to accomplish in this space — of the capacity that we have to contribute to solving the world’s problems moving forward; and part of that is bringing people together.”