Water, water everywhere - but not a drop to drink! - Chandra Madramootoo, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

With over 10% of the world's water resources, Canada is considered water rich. While true from a broad national perspective, some parts experience water shortages, particularly the prairies and the North. We must also be mindful of severe water shortages, and lack of access to water and sanitation facilities, in the developing world. One billion people lack adequate access to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation. Even worse, about 1.8 million children die annually from diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This presentation will explore the root causes of today's global water crisis, and describe potential roles for Canada in breaking down the barriers to poverty and disease caused by water insecurity.