Water security in small, rural, and remote communities

几十年来，缺乏清洁和安全的饮用水一直是加拿大许多小型、农村和偏远（SRR）社区的危机。这场危机加剧了COVID-19大流行对SRR社区居民的不利影响。在拟议的研究中，北不列颠哥伦比亚大学（UNBC）的申请人将与不列颠哥伦比亚大学、奥肯那根大学（UBCO）和麦克马斯特大学的研究人员合作。总体目标是制定一个有效的解决方案，解决加拿大SRR社区的水安全问题。拟议研究的合作伙伴是Lheidli T’enneh First Nation (LTFN)，这是卑诗省北部最大的第一民族社区。LTFN目前处于“不消耗”和“不使用”水的警告之下。拟议的研究将侧重于作为个案研究的LTFN的水安全问题。整体目标可通过完成多项研究目标来实现，包括(a)为SRR社区开发智能水质管理工具；(b)开发一系列以本地知识为基础的低成本方法（用改性的当地材料制成的吸附剂和过滤器），以进行有效的水处理；(c)社区参与和开发决策支持工具，帮助SRR社区选择最合适的供水战略。在研究和培训高素质人才（HQP）时将考虑公平、多样性和包容性（EDI）。共培养5名HQP（包括1名博士后研究员、1名博士研究生和1名硕士研究生）。本研究成果有望有效解决长江口地区的长期饮用水问题。开发的工具和基于ik的水处理方法将通过研究中建立的网络在加拿大其他SRR社区广泛应用。这不仅将为SRR社区和国家带来可观的经济效益，而且还将节省大量公共卫生保护支出，这将对这些地区从大流行病中复苏的经济产生积极影响。

Lack of access to clean and safe drinking water has been a crisis in many small, rural, and remote (SRR) communities in Canada for decades. This crisis has exacerbated the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to the residents of SRR communities. In the proposed research, the applicant at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) will team up with researchers at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan (UBCO) and McMaster University. The overall goal is to develop an effective solution that addresses water security issues in Canadian SRR communities. The partner on the proposed research is Lheidli T'enneh First Nation (LTFN), the largest First Nations community in northern BC. LTFN is currently under "Do-Not-Consume" and "Do-Not-Use" water advisories. The proposed research will be carried out focusing on water security issues in LTFN as a case study. The overall aim can be achieved by completing a number of research objectives, including (a) the development of a smart water quality management tool for SRR communities; (b) the development of a series of Indigenous knowledge-based low-cost methods (sorbents and filters made from modified local materials) for effective water treatment; and (c) community engagement and development of a decision support tool to help SRR communities select the most suitable water supply strategy. Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) will be considered in the research and the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP). A total of five HQP (including a postdoctoral research associate as well as PhD and MSc students) will be trained. The outcomes of the proposed research are expected to effectively solve the long-term drinking water issues in LTFN. The developed tools and IK-based water treatment methods will be commercialized for wide application in other SRR communities across Canada through the network established in the research. This will not only generate considerable economic benefits to both the SRR communities and the country but also will save tremendous expenditures on public health protection, which will bring positive effects to the economic recovery of these areas from the pandemic.