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，农村和偏远社区的危机。这场危机加剧了COVID-19疫情对SRR社区居民的不利影响。在拟议的研究中，北方不列颠哥伦比亚省大学（UNBC）的申请人将与不列颠哥伦比亚省大学、奥卡诺根大学（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第一民族（LTFN），这是不列颠哥伦比亚省北方最大的第一民族社区。LTFN目前处于“禁止使用”和“禁止使用”水的状态。拟议的研究将集中在LTFN的水安全问题作为案例研究。总体目标可以通过完成多个研究目标来实现，包括（a）为SRR社区开发智能水质管理工具;（B）开发一系列基于原住民知识的低成本方法（吸附剂和过滤器由改性的当地材料制成），用于有效的水处理;以及（c）社区参与和决策支持工具的开发，以帮助SRR社区选择最合适的供水战略。公平，多样性和包容性（EDI）将在研究和高素质人员（HQP）的培训中得到考虑。共有五名HQP（包括博士后研究助理以及博士和硕士生）将接受培训。该研究成果有望有效解决LTFN的长期饮用水问题。开发的工具和基于IK-based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。这不仅将为灾区和国家带来可观的经济效益，也将节省大量的公共卫生保障支出，对灾区经济复苏产生积极影响。

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.