Socio-hydrology

Socio-hydrology

Creating governance models and policy tools by integrating people and their activities into water science

Water is life.

And water security - both quality and quantity - is one of the most critical issues facing our planet.

Global Institute for Water Security

*Interested in joining our team? The Global Institute for Water Security is hiring a new faculty member. Please visit our Employment Opportunities page for details. 

At the University of Saskatchewan Global Institute for Water Security, sustainable use of the world’s water resources and protection against natural hazards such as flood and drought are key priorities.

Officially launched in March 2011, the Global Institute for Water Security builds upon leading expertise and capacity in water research at the U of S. The Institute is co-located with Environment Canada’s National Hydrology Research Centre at Innovation Place and funded through the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security (CERC), a $30-million, joint federal-provincial-university commitment over seven years. Led by Dr. Howard Wheater, one of the world’s foremost hydrologists, teams at the institute are developing the tools, techniques and policies to sustainably manage the world’s freshwater resources.

Here, multi-disciplinary science, engineering and social science teams work with industrial and government partners to address four broad research themes:  


Knowledge gained at the institute will result in better modeling of hydrological systems for flood and drought management; better policy development and improved protection of safe drinking water supply; and better understanding of mining and oilsands remediation problems, agricultural water use and pollution.

Read the Global Institute for Water Security factsheet

RSS  In The News

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Water institute truly global
GIWS marked its first anniversary on International Water Day, March 22, and is proving, as the name implies, its research scope is far reaching—from as close to home as the South Saskatchewan River Basin, to as far away as Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
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The trickle down effect
John Pomeroy, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change discusses the loss of a precious Western Canadian water resource that's under threat - Snow.
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Beating the heat - GIWS/SENS team wins Invitational Drought Tournament
On March 2, a multidisciplinary team of students and post-doctoral fellows from GIWS and SENS beat out teams from universities across the prairies to take home top prize at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Invitational Drought Tournament held in Saskatoon.
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Contact Us:
Global Institute for Water Security
University of Saskatchewan
National Hydrology Research Centre
11 Innovation Boulevard
Saskatoon, SK S7N 3H5 Canada
Email: water.security@usask.ca
Phone: (306) 966-8014
Fax: (306) 966-1193 

For media inquiries contact:
Meagan Hinther, Communications Specialist
Email: meagan.hinther@usask.ca
Phone: (306) 966-1019