Civil Seminar

Event Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2017

 Water Futures in Changing Cold Regions

Howard Wheater, University of Saskatchewan

 Canada is experiencing some of the world’s most rapid rates of climate warming; with a water environment dominated by snow, ice and frozen soils, Canada is losing her cold. Climate and landscapes are changing, and historical patterns of water availability are no longer a reliable guide to the future. Adaptation to change requires new science to understand the changing earth system, new monitoring systems to warn of critical environmental change, new modelling tools that can represent non-stationary and tipping points, and more effective methods to translate new scientific knowledge into societal action. We report on two major Canadian research programs that aim to prepare Canada to meet these challenges. The Changing Cold Regions Network (2012-2018) focusses on monitoring and modelling environmental change in western Canada. Global Water Futures (2016-2023) aims to deliver transdisciplinary science, working with users to address the question ‘How can we best  forecast, prepare for and manage water futures in the face of rapid change and increasing water-related risks?’

 Professor Howard Wheater is Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security, Director of the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan, and Distinguished Research Fellow and Emeritus Professor of Hydrology at Imperial College London. A leading expert in hydrological science and modelling, he has published more than 200 refereed articles and 6 books. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the American Geophysical Union and winner of the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water.

Civil Seminar