What will it take to ensure that the two billion people currently without access to clean water around the world are not left high and dry? With 91亚色 as the academic lead, the UNITAR Global Water Academy @ 91亚色U is mobilizing the scientific community and forging collaborations to address water scarcity and lack of access.

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Global Water Academy (UGWA) reaches its one-year anniversary on UN World Water Day, March 22, the same day it will host a side event panel with 91亚色 as part of the United Nations (UN) World Water Day in Geneva 鈥� Addressing Water for Peace: Water Governance in Conflict and Humanitarian Settings 鈥� to spark collaborations and dialogue around the theme, Leveraging Water for Peace.

Two days later on March 24, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto will shine a light on water in Indigenous and Muslim traditions with a panel discussion on , presented by the UNITAR Global Water Academy and 91亚色.

鈥淪ome 2.5 billion people live in water stressed countries where the supply cannot meet the demand, while 46 per cent of the world's population lacks adequate sanitation services. Access to safe drinking water is inequitable and puts the safety of women and marginalized groups at risk,鈥� says 91亚色 Research Chair in Global Change Biology Professor , inaugural director of the UGWA and a freshwater expert. 鈥淐onflict, changes in land use and climate change are exacerbating water insecurity in urban, rural and agricultural areas. These are global issues that continue to worsen.鈥�

91亚色 has a deep well of expertise in water research and action and along with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Global Water Academy (UGWA) will help develop scientific-based and governance solutions and applications to address water issues in some of the most underserved areas and for those most affected by climate change, flooding, and drought.

鈥淲ater is strongly linked to political instability and economic inequality, and as both a leader in sustainability as well as a progressive teaching and research institution, it is our responsibility to take action on this critical issue,鈥� says Rhonda Lenton, 91亚色鈥檚 president and vice-chancellor. 鈥淥ur thriving partnership with UNITAR to create a first-of-its-kind Global Water Academy is one example of how collaboration across sectors and borders can drive positive change for our global communities.鈥�

With UGWA, 91亚色 is advancing much needed scholarship and virtual and hybrid learning developed by global leaders in water research, resource management and policy development. The courses will be for all relevant parties, including researchers, governments, and the public on everything water from how to mitigate water shortages caused by climate change to making drinking water cleaner and more accessible.

鈥�The collaboration with 91亚色 to create the Global Water Academy recognizes its vision and leadership to become Canada鈥檚 leader in research into water technologies spanning different sub disciplines including wastewater, drinking water, groundwater and surface water research. Together, we are developing solutions to the world鈥檚 water issues,鈥� says Nikhil Seth, UN assistant secretary general and executive director of UNITAR. 

One of the goals is to empower learners everywhere to respond to water crises and to help achieve the UN SDG 6 鈥� support capacity building of sustainable management of water especially for Indigenous communities and marginalized/equity-deserving groups.

An essential part of UGWA鈥檚 work is building a global network of water experts, scientists, and policymakers, and reaching out to local people in some of the hardest hit regions to learn about their specific water challenges to help address them through training and education. Building a space where people can connect, form partnerships and collaborate is essential.

Some places are going to be warmer and drier; others will become wetter and cooler. There is not one solution that can be applied across the world and that is why the network is so important. In their first year, the network has grown exponentially. Their most recent virtual panel at the United Nations in New 91亚色 City attracted hundreds of people from 90 countries.

鈥淔or countries severely impacted by climate change and conflict, the lack of clean water can be life threatening,鈥� says Sharma of the Faculty of Science who researches how lakes worldwide respond to climate change, including rapid ice loss, warming water temperatures, degrading water quality, and changing fish distributions. 鈥淐lean and safely managed water offers a way out of these crises. It鈥檚 why we must work together to advance goal six of the United Nation鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals 鈥� ensuring access to water and sanitation for all.鈥�

Part of outreach efforts include partnering with organizations such as the Aga Khan Museum. The event will include a dance performance and talk with 91亚色 alumnus Sashar Zarif, a projection installation and virtual reality exhibit in the atrium and Bellerive Room 鈥� 鈥� co-created by Associate Professor of 91亚色鈥檚 School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design and Assistant Professor Dolleen Manning of Queen鈥檚 University. A panel discussion on water issues will follow.

Involved in the water work at 91亚色 is Assistant Professor and Associate Professor , both of the Lassonde School of Engineering. Gora鈥檚 research focuses on drinking water management in small and Arctic communities, drinking water treatment and quality, and the development of light-based technologies for water purification and wastewater treatment. The water challenge goes beyond access and security, it also involves managing wastewater. Khan鈥檚 work focuses on urban hydrology, including flood risk assessment, sustainable water resource management and infrastructure, and how climate change impacts these systems.

Anther way 91亚色 is supporting water research is through its organized research unit, One WATER, dedicated to finding strategic, integrated solutions to water challenges faced by communities here and across the globe.

It is only through engaging people and communities around the world that solutions to water challenges can be found.

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Extreme weather events linked to climate change negatively impact water quality, quantity and sustainability for some of the world鈥檚 most vulnerable, but the United Nations (UN) and 91亚色 along with public and private sector global partners are working toward solutions through the UN鈥檚 Global Water Academy (Water Academy).

As academic lead for the Water Academy, 91亚色 hosted a virtual panel discussion on July 14, 2023, titled, 鈥淗umanitarian responses to emerging water crises as a result of extreme climatic events.鈥� The virtual panel discussion was organized as part of the UN鈥檚 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, taking place from July 10 to 19 in New 91亚色.

Moderated by freshwater expert Sapna Sharma, 91亚色 Research Chair in Global Change Biology in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Science, the 90-minute panel began with welcoming remarks from Alex Mejia, director of the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Division for People and Social Inclusion; Ambassador Luis Gallegos, chair of UNITAR's board of trustees; and, Rhonda Lenton, 91亚色鈥檚 president and vice-chancellor.

The panel featured a conversation with global experts from the academic and non-profit sectors, including Jessica Vandenberghe, assistant dean, Community and Culture in the University of Victoria鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science; Swani Keelson, founder of the Global Water Promise; Nicolas Jarraud, member of the Global Water Partnership secretariat; and Syed Imran Ali, a Research Fellow in Global Health and Humanitarianism from 91亚色鈥檚 Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research.

Sharma welcomed the more than 150 virtual attendees and spoke about how climatic events directly impact water quantity and quality, 鈥淲ater crises and extreme climate events, including heatwaves, droughts and storms, are not only getting more frequent but also more intense, and the most vulnerable are paying the highest price,鈥� Sharma said.

To support water research as a priority and a critical part of 91亚色's work to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in 2022, the University launched One WATER, an organized research unit dedicated to finding strategic, integrated solutions to water challenges faced by communities in Canada and around the world.

鈥淓xtreme climate events and water crises are complex, global challenges that require diverse perspectives to identify sustainable solutions,鈥� said Lenton. "91亚色鈥檚 academic leadership role with the UN Water Academy and through our organized research unit One Water is driving the positive and sustainable change needed to improve water equity in Canada and around the world.鈥�

91亚色 is well-positioned to play a guiding role in the multi-sector collaboration that aspires to empower community-based networks, weave traditional knowledge, and inspire innovation to ensure equitable access to water for all.

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