News
Canadian Peatland Data Portal launches as a new tool for water research and collaboration
Peatlands cover upwards of 12 per cent of Canada’s landscape and store more carbon than all other ecosystems in the country combined, making them one of Canada’s most powerful natural climate allies. Yet until now, information on these critical ecosystems has been difficult to find. To address this gap, the Can-Peat Network at the University of Waterloo launched the Canadian Peatland Data Portal in early January, the country’s first national platform dedicated to centralizing peatland carbon metadata.
Water Institute marks World Water Day 2026
On March 20, the Water Institute brought together researchers, students and industry leaders to mark World Water Day 2026, highlighting the United Nations global theme of Water and Gender. The event explored water inequality, infrastructure challenges and shared responsibility, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration in addressing complex water challenges and ensuring safe, reliable water for all.
John Parish Memorial Scholarship awarded to PhD student studying urban river erosion
Waterloo graduate student Thiruni Thirimanne a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been awarded the Water Institute’s 2026 John Parish Memorial Graduate Scholarship, recognizing excellence in research on river systems and fluvial geomorphology.
Events
The functional reality of watersheds: Complexity, time-variance, and the limits of current deep learning models
As part of the Water Institute's WaterTalks lecture series, Ali Ameli, Professor & Director of HydroGeoScience for Watershed Management (HGS-WM) Research Group, UBC, will present The functional reality of watersheds: Complexity, time-variance, and the limits of current deep learning models.
This event is in person in DC 1302.
Inside Academia Workshop with David Sedlak
The Water Institute and the Department of Civil Engineering are pleased to present the Inside Academia Workshop with David Sedlak, PhD, Plato Malozemoff Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
This event will be held in person in E2 2350, University of Waterloo.
Using Nature-Based Treatment to Solve Some of the World’s Water Crises
The Water Institute and the Faculty of Engineering are pleased to present the 2025–26 AEESP Distinguished Lecture, Using Nature-Based Treatment to Solve Some of the World’s Water Crises, presented by David Sedlak, PhD, Plato Malozemoff Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
This event will be held in person at Federation Hall, University of Waterloo.
