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| Global Water Futures | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Water Futures |
| Established | 2016 |
| Headquarters | University of Saskatchewan |
| Leader title | Scientific Director |
| Leader name | John Pomeroy |
| Affiliations | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, University of Saskatchewan, Environment and Climate Change Canada |
Global Water Futures is a large-scale research initiative focused on freshwater prediction, risk assessment, and adaptation across continental North America and the Arctic. The program integrates observational networks, computational modelling, and stakeholder engagement to forecast water quantity and quality under changing climate change scenarios, extreme events such as floods and droughts, and human activities including resource development and urbanization. It operates through university consortia, federal research agencies, and provincial partners to produce actionable science for municipalities, Indigenous governments, and national agencies.
The initiative was launched with leadership from the University of Saskatchewan and funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, joining researchers from institutions such as McMaster University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Manitoba, and Université Laval. It leverages infrastructure including the Canadian Light Source, the Canadian Ice Service, the Meteorological Service of Canada, and high-performance computing centres such as Compute Canada and the SciNet HPC Consortium. The program connects with policy actors like Environment and Climate Change Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Public Safety Canada, and international partners including United States Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the World Meteorological Organization.
Primary objectives include producing enhanced seasonal-to-decadal freshwater forecasts, improving flood and drought risk projections, and advancing water-quality predictions for contaminants including nutrients and organic pollutants. Target users span City of Toronto utilities, Alberta Environment and Parks, Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Indigenous governments such as the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. Geographic scope covers major basins like the Mackenzie River, Saskatchewan River, Great Lakes, Columbia River, and Arctic coastal catchments. Research domains encompass cryospheric science at sites including Baffin Island, permafrost monitoring in the Yukon, glacial hydrology in the Rocky Mountains, and urban hydrology in municipalities like Winnipeg and Vancouver.
Programs integrate observational networks—ground snow surveys, stream gauges managed by the Water Survey of Canada, lake ice observatories, and remote sensing from satellites such as Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Landsat, and RADARSAT. Methodologies include coupled hydrological-climate modelling using frameworks aligned with the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, data assimilation with tools from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and machine learning methods developed alongside research groups at McGill University, University of Waterloo, and Simon Fraser University. Water-quality modelling incorporates biogeochemical modules tested in the Laurentian Great Lakes Research Consortium and field campaigns coordinated with the Canadian Rivers Institute. Citizen science and Indigenous knowledge are integrated through collaborations with organizations like the Assembly of First Nations and the Métis National Council.
Key outputs include improved flood forecasts for the Red River of the North, enhanced seasonal runoff predictions for the Saskatchewan River Basin, and assessments of permafrost-driven hydrological change in the Western Canadian Arctic. Studies produced by the consortium have quantified shifting snowmelt timing linked to Arctic amplification and reduced river ice regimes across the Mackenzie River Basin, influencing infrastructure planning for communities such as Iqaluit and Yellowknife. Water-quality analyses have informed algal bloom management strategies for the Great Lakes and supported nutrient-reduction discussions involving the International Joint Commission. The program’s datasets and models have been cited by agencies including Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and provincial ministries for hazard mapping and climate adaptation planning.
Funding sources include the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, contributions from provincial ministries such as Alberta Innovates, in-kind support from universities like University of Saskatchewan and Queen’s University, and collaborative grants from bodies including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. International partnerships engage the United States Geological Survey, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and European research centres like the British Antarctic Survey and Helmholtz Association. Stakeholder partnerships include municipal utilities such as Toronto Water and Indigenous organizations including Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
Research outputs have been translated into operational forecasting tools deployed with partners such as the Water Survey of Canada and integrated into provincial emergency planning used by Public Safety Canada and provincial emergency management organizations. The program has influenced infrastructure design standards adopted by agencies like Transport Canada and informed transboundary dialogues mediated by the International Joint Commission concerning Great Lakes and boundary waters. Academic-policy exchanges occur through venues such as the Royal Society of Canada panels and technical briefings to parliamentary committees.
Critiques have addressed data-sharing constraints with agencies such as the National Research Council and barriers to integrating Indigenous knowledge at scale noted by representatives from the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Circumpolar Council. Technical challenges include downscaling global climate-model projections from centres like the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis and uncertainty communication highlighted in reviews by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Funding sustainability and long-term maintenance of monitoring infrastructure remain concerns raised by provincial treasuries and university administrators.
Category:Hydrology Category:Environmental research organizations