water.usask.ca Global Institute for Water Security 2018-19 Progress Report Drone Flight, Smart Water Systems Lab and Canmore Cold Water Lab Fortress Mountain, Kananaskis, AB Photo Courtesy: Mark Ferguson OUR VISION Enabling global water security by world-class research and training, science comm- unication and science-informed policy. We define water security as the sustainable use and protection of water resources under changing climatic conditions and the pressures of population growth, including the safeguarding of access to water functions and services for humans and the environment, and protection against water-related hazards (e.g. flooding, drought and contaminants). OUR MISSION Create a focus and platform for interdisciplinary collaboration that recog- nizes the societal dimensions of water security, human impacts on the environment, and the linkages and feedbacks among the atmosphere, the ocean, the land and freshwater systems. This requires new integration of the relevant spectrum of natural, health and social sciences, public policy and engineering; Develop the knowledge, science and technologies needed to support integrated water quantity and quality management in the face of uncertain climate and water resource futures, and address local, regional and global water security agendas; Train the next generations of water security scholars and practitioners; Communicate key advances in water security research to government officials, environmental decision makers and the general public. Develop partnerships with key stakeholders to translate science into policy and management support to meet water security challenges, including interactions among water, food, energy and ecosystem services (i.e., benefits to human welfare), climate change adaptation and mitigation challenges, and the human health agenda; Understand the hydrological, social, economic and political factors that threaten water security in key regions globally. Engage in water diplomacy, collaborative network (e.g. government, civil society, NGO and universities) and capacity building in those regions; and Explore public-private partnership opportunities for strategic water security issues and regions. Global Institute for Water Security Research Report July 2018 – June 2019 i EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE – Jay Famiglietti Dear colleagues, members, and friends of GIWS, Another Annual Report affords me the opportunity to reflect on where we have been in the last year, and what the road ahead may look like. Let me start by saying that you all make me so proud to be your Executive Director. You continue to demonstrate that we are moving the needle on regional and global water security in very substantive ways; and you give me great hope that the future of water security is in very capable hands. The institute continues to grow in personnel, in space and in stature. We are bursting at the seams in our offices at Innovation Place in Saskatoon, trying to fit every one of our nearly 500 graduate students, postdocs, research technicians, faculty and staff into our offices. Our Coldwater Laboratory in Canmore is also expanding with the arrival of Prof. Martyn Clark and the growth of his team there. For much of 2019, we have been engaged with the Town of Canmore in discussions regarding GIWS expansion there, including recruiting a new Tier 1 Canada Research Chair with a potential home Dr. James Famiglietti, Executive Director GIWS and base at Coldwater. Canada 150 Research Chair in Hydrology and Water Security Regarding the growth of our stature, a senior, distinguished colleague, who was sitting next to me during a recent dinner, leaned over and said in a hushed tone ‘you all are doing amazing things up there in Saskatoon.’ As many of you know, he is not the only one who feels that way. Between all of your great science, teaching, training and outreach, and the far-reaching impacts of our Global Water Futures program under Associate Director John Pomeroy’s leadership, we have been turning heads for some time now. While that is important for recruiting top talent to USask and GIWS, more important is that we are having an impact. Elected officials, policy makers and water managers are seeking us out for advice, guidance, for our latest research results, and to hire our graduates. This…is what it is all about. While my first term at USask (Fall 2018) was spent ‘making the rounds’ on campus, meeting GIWS members, campus administrators, and scouting new collaborations, much of 2019 was spent looking beyond the boundaries of campus. With the help of USask’s new Associate Vice- President for Government Relations Sara Daniels, and GIWS’ new Strategic Partnership Specialist Palash Sanyal, we are establishing new and meaningful relationships with a wide variety of federal, provincial and city government agencies and officials. These relationships must be built Global Institute for Water Security Research Report July 2018 – June 2019 ii and nurtured over the long-term. Mutual trust and two-way communication are essential for our work to have continued impact on policy and practice, and hence for the sustainability of GIWS. More on these relationships in just a bit. Let me share some highlights with you from the 2018-2019 academic year. The GWF 2nd Annual Open Science Meeting in May in Saskatoon was a tremendous success. With nearly 600 attendees, it was one of the largest water science meetings ever held in Canada. Keynote lectures from Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, from President David Grimes of the World Meteorological Organization, and Scott White, editor of The Conversation, along with hundreds of talks and posters, demonstrated that GIWS can host a world-class meeting. Professor Helen Baulch’s public talk on Prairie water issues at the Roxy Theater was another highlight. Kudos to the GWF team for knocking this one out of the park! Now, about those government officials who are seeking us out. It was a great pleasure to host Dr. Mona Nemer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, when she came to visit us on July 8 to learn more about the Institute, our research and our programs. I’m happy to say that Dr. Nemer continues to be engaged with GIWS: we are currently working together on ‘Water Day on the Hill’ which will take place on March 10, 2020. Our goal is to have water experts from across Canada have multiple brief one-on-one meetings with members of Parliament throughout the day, with a poster session to wrap up. This will be an important opportunity to have our water messages heard, and a great experience in honing our science communication skills. This is an important initiative for all of Canada as we continue to work closely with the government to ensure a secure water future for all Canadians. Just a couple of weeks later, on July 23, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, then Minister of Science, paid a visit to GIWS and we were so grateful to have her speak with our researchers, students, and young professionals. Minister Duncan seemed especially impressed with the advances in research our team at the Smart Water Systems Laboratory is having on the field of hydrology through the use of drones and unique sensors; along with the tremendous work by some our faculty and graduate students on the Women and Water Lecture Series, which I am proud to say will begin again for season two in January 2020. We are developing new collaborations with the Global Institute for Food Security and in the general area of the food-water nexus and digital agro-hydrology. Since most of the world’s water is used to produce food, we must engage with our colleagues at GIFS, in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, as well as with the agricultural ministries and with the food industry, if we aspire to greater impacts on global water security. Given the expertise in hydrology and agriculture on campus, it is clear that USask can become a globally leading research university in food-water nexus issues. Global Institute for Water Security Research Report July 2018 – June 2019 iii You can check out a complete list of our “Collaborations and Outreach” in the compendium section of this report, but I want to highlight a few recent engagements with important individuals and groups, including World Water Week in Stockholm, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Invitational Fellowship for Research in Japan, the launch of the Pew Charitable Trust’s Future of Water issue on World Water Day at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine in Washington, DC; and invited keynote talks at the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC; the Johnson-Shoyama School’s Tansley Lecture in Regina; and the IAEA International Symposium on Isotope Hydrology in Vienna. Some day my speaking schedule will slow down…I hope. As you may know, I am passionate about science communication and ensuring that what we do as researchers is not locked away in the ivory tower. One way we are trying to communicate with the public is through a partnership with Let’s Talk About Water (LTAW), an activity which I co- founded with colleague and film researcher Linda Lilienfeld in 2009. LTAW uses film to stimulate discussion about local water issues with local experts, and it has held events and film festivals around the word. This past year we began planning for a weeklong LTAW film festival in Saskatoon next June, along with an international water film prize, student film prizes for students from the Saskatoon Public and Catholic School Boards, public speakers, and the 5th International Conference on Hydrology and Earth System Science for Society (HESSS5). We’re calling the whole thing Saskatoon Water Week. All of the films and events for Saskatoon Water Week are free and we can’t wait for Saskatoon to be taking about water! As for teasers for 2019-2020, watch for growth in the areas of water diplomacy and remote sensing, over the next year, and of course, we’ll continue to grow our efforts in science communication.
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