Sustainable Water Management in Small, Northern & Indigenous Communities

土著社区、北方社区和小社区继续面临长期饮用水短缺、废水处理不足、基础设施需求巨大以及不断变化的气候敏感环境等问题。 工程师的作用是保护公众利益，平衡社会、环境和经济因素，为复杂的挑战找到最佳解决方案。拟议的研究计划认识到需要确定可持续的水管理方法，以及适当的水和废水处理和设计的小型，北方和土著社区在加拿大。 创建健康和可持续的社区需要通过实际的方法解决可持续的基础设施问题，考虑到技术，社会，经济和环境的脆弱性。 拟议的研究计划的主要长期目标是提高周围的理解，并制定适当的工程解决方案，可持续的水管理在小，北方和土著社区。 该研究计划分为三个独立的研究领域，每个领域都相互建立，提供与可持续水资源管理相关的宝贵见解和独特知识。 在主题1中，可持续水资源的解决方案这项研究将结合技术定量分析和半定性方法，以实现所确定的目标，并为小型，北方和土著社区的可持续水资源管理开发关键理论和实际解决方案。 需要整合的工具包括：水和废水处理设计评估工具、系统图、过程和流程图、因果图、生命周期分析、规划工具和决策支持系统。这项研究计划将提供独特的见解和重大贡献的研究领域还没有得到很好的探索，包括可持续的水和废水管理的小，偏远，北方和土著社区。 它将直接影响工程界，为社区提供与可持续基础设施解决方案相关的新的独特知识，特别关注土著和北方社区。这项研究为2名博士，3名MASc和5名UG学生提供了丰富的学术环境中的培训机会，并在整个计划中提供相关的私营和公共部门曝光，以及社区研究和参与。

Indigenous, northern and small communities continue to face long-term drinking water advisories, inadequate wastewater treatment, significant infrastructure needs and a constantly evolving climate-sensitive environment. The role of engineers is to protect public interest and balance the social, environmental, and economic considerations to find the best solutions to complex challenges. The proposed research program recognizes the need to identify sustainable water management approaches, and appropriate water and wastewater treatment and design for small, northern and Indigenous communities in Canada. Creating healthy and sustainable communities necessitates addressing sustainable infrastructure through a practical approach, accounting for technical, social, economic, environmental vulnerabilities. The primary long-term goal of the proposed research program is to enhance understanding around, and develop appropriate engineering solutions for sustainable water management in small, northern and Indigenous communities. The research program is divided into three separate research areas, each building on one another, providing valuable insight and unique knowledge related to sustainable water management. In Theme 1, solutions for Sustainable Water This research will incorporate technical quantitative analysis combined with semi-qualitative methods in order to meet the objectives identified and develop key theories and practical solutions to sustainable water management in small, northern and Indigenous communities. Tools to be integrated include : water and wastewater treatment design assessment tools, systems diagrams, process and flow diagrams, causal maps, life-cycle analysis, planning tools, and decision support systems. This research program will provide unique insight and significant contributions into areas of research that have not been well-explored including sustainable water and wastewater management for small, remote, northern and Indigenous communities. It will directly impact the engineering community by generating new and unique knowledge related to sustainable infrastructure solutions for communities, with a unique focus on Indigenous and northern communities. This research provides training opportunities for 2 PhD, 3 MASc and 5 UG students within an enriching academic environment with relevant private and public sector exposure, and community research and engagement throughout the program.