Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Call for Abstracts - NEW Deadline June 1, 2022

 Call for Abstracts Deadline June 1, 2022

The OU Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER) Center is soliciting abstracts for poster and oral presentations for the OU International WaTER Conference to be held virtually on September 26-27, 2022.

 

Abstracts for oral or poster presentations dealing with issues in the topical areas listed below are invited.  Subject matter areas include engineering, hydrology, water quality, meteorology, anthropology, sociology, social entrepreneurship, legal issues and related areas. Interested participants should submit an abstract of no more than 500 words to the conference Selection Committee by April 30, 2022. 

 

The abstract should include a succinct but descriptive title of the proposed presentation, and name, affiliation, and contact information (including email) of all authors.  The abstract should identify the topic of the proposed presentation and should include a brief description of the research, innovation, or project, and discuss the significant results of the efforts and conclusions or recommendations drawn from the study.

 


Drs. David Sabatini and Jim Chamberlain
give remarks at the 2015 Conference.


Critical Water Issues in Today’s World

 

Abstracts will be especially welcomed in the following targeted areas:

  • WASH Interventions
    The WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) sector includes all research and activities relative to the improvement of health and well-being by the proper separation of sanitation and clean water access. Interventions that improve hand-washing and other hygienic behavior are relevant, as well as household and community-level implementations of safe water storage, water treatment, and improved sanitation technologies.

  • Water Challenges for Underserved Populations
    Water availability, wastewater management, and water-related social justice issues for Native Americans, First Nations, or other underrepresented communities.

  • Aging Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Systems
    Identification, removal, and replacement/restoration of water and wastewater infrastructure systems in both developing and developed regions.
  • Wastewater-based Epidemiology
    Public health applications of using wastewater surveillance for monitoring pathogens and chemicals in a variety of locales. Examples include pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and/or chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, or human-health biomarkers.
  • Ecological Engineering and Engineering with Nature
    Design and analyses of Natural Infrastructure (NI) for water quality improvement, water management, and other environmental benefits. Broad-scale Nature and Nature Based Solutions (NNBS) and site-specific treatment wetlands, passive treatment systems, and related sustainable ecosystem-based technologies.

  • Advances in Drought Monitoring, Modeling, and Prediction
    New tools and approaches that address the complex factors associated with drought from local to global scales, including (1) observations strategies focused on drought, (2) the temporal evolution of drought from flash drought to decadal and beyond, (3) the drivers of drought onset, development, intensification, and decay, (4) drought impacts to agriculture, water resources, ecosystem function, and human systems, and (5) research to operational tools that enhance drought prediction.

  • Climate Change and Hydrology Extremes
    Climate change impacts on water scarcity and potential flooding and the use of hydrologic and global climate models to predict areas of future water extremes in the US and abroad to provide a scientific basis for water resource planning.
  • Natural Hazards
    State-of-the-art discussion of impacts of natural hazards on freshwater resources, such as a wildfire burn areas and hurricane flooding. Current challenges and the impacts of water quantity or water quality to fresh water sources in inland riverine environments, lakes and reservoirs, with a special interest in highlighting needs and opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

  • Other
    Presentations addressing subject matter related to the conference theme are also invited.

 

Submit your abstract here

 

For more conference details, go to WaTER.ou.edu


Ada Oko-Williams is shown with travel scholarship recipients
from the 2013 International Water Conference.


 

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Final RSVP and spotlight on three WaTER Prize jurors

 Water Security and Equity in a Changing Climate

The International WaTER Symposium is online this year - this Tuesday, Sep 21, 7:00 - 8:30pm

Please RSVP here, and you will be forwarded a Zoom link upon registration:

RSVP

INTERNATIONAL WATER SYMPOSIUM 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (via ZOOM) 

7:00-7:15 PM    Welcome and opening remarks

7:15-7:55 PM    Short presentations by jurors on water projects and global water issues

7:55-8:20 PM    Question & Answer session with jurors on relevant challenges to water security

8:20-8:28 PM    Announcement of the 2022 International Water Prize winner! 

8:28-8:30 PM    Thank-you and save the date for the next WaTER Conference

SAVE THE DATE

OU International WaTER Conference

September 26-28, 2022 | Norman, OK 


Dr. Ana Barros is a South African-born American civil and environmental engineer currently serving as the Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois. She is an Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and in 2019 she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for "contributions to understanding and prediction of precipitation dynamics and flood hazards in mountainous terrains". Ana attended the Faculty of Engineering of the University of O’Porto where she obtained a summa cum laude Diploma in Civil Engineering and a M.Sc. degree in Ocean Engineering in 1988 with a thesis focusing on numerical modeling of sediment transport in estuaries and coastal regions. In 1990, Dr. Barros completed and M.Sc. degree in Environmental Science Engineering at the OHSU/OGI School of Science and Engineering. She earned a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1993. 


Dr. Aondover Tarhule is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and for Illinois State University. Prior to this recent appointment, Dr. Tarhule served as Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School at Binghamton University, part of the state universities of New York. While at Binghamton, he has facilitated the creation of new degree programs, developed new international partnerships, and implemented several major innovations to data and workflow software. 
A physical geographer, Tarhule’s work on climate impacts on water scarcity and security has been featured in National Geographic and Nature. His scholarly research has appeared in prestigious international journals and book chapters. His efforts as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI have resulted in more than $5 million in grants from such agencies as the National Science Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development, the National Institute of Health, and the United States Geological Survey.



Dr. Upmanu Lall is the Director of the Columbia Water Center and the Alan and Carol Silberstein Professor of Engineering, and the Chair of the Dept. of Earth & Environmental Engineering at Columbia University. He has broad interests in hydrology, climate dynamics, water resource systems analysis, risk management and sustainability. Upmanu’s current research covers 3 major initiatives that are developed through the Columbia Water Center. The Global Water Sustainability Initiative addresses global water scarcity and risk. The Global Flood Initiative is motivated by the need to predict, mitigate and manage floods at a global scale recognizing their climate drivers, and supply chain impacts. America's Water seeks to develop sustainable water management and infrastructure design paradigms for the 21st century recognizing the linkages between urban functioning, food, water, energy and climate. These programmatic initiatives are backed by research on systems level modeling of hydrology, climate, agronomy and economics.

These three jurors will be serving alongside the other two jurors, spotlighted in a previous blog - Merrell-Ann Phare and Callist Tindimugaya. The five panelists are eminently qualified to select the next recipient of the OU International WaTER Prize!

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

RSVP and schedule for the Water Symposium - September 21, 2021

Water Security and Equity in a Changing Climate

The International WaTER Symposium is online this year - one week away!

Please RSVP here, and you will be forwarded a Zoom link upon registration:

RSVP


Eric Stowe receives the 2017 International Water Prize
from the current OU President Joe Harroz.

A general outline schedule of the event follows:

INTERNATIONAL WATER SYMPOSIUM 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (via ZOOM) 

7:00-7:15 PM    Welcome and opening remarks

7:15-7:55 PM    Short presentations by jurors on water projects and global water issues

7:55-8:20 PM    Question & Answer session with jurors on relevant challenges to water security

8:20-8:28 PM    Announcement of the 2022 International Water Prize winner! 

8:28-8:30 PM    Thank-you and save the date for the next WaTER Conference


SAVE THE DATE

OU International WaTER Conference

September 26-28, 2022 | Norman, OK 


Tuesday, August 10, 2021

RSVP and spotlight on two jurors for the Water Symposium - September 21, 2021

We are only six weeks away from our next Water Symposium in which a group of five distinguished jurors will select the next recipient of the International Water Prize! As part of our preparation, we want to share some information on each of our jurors. We begin with Merrell-Ann Phare and Callist Tindimugaya.

Merrell-Ann Phare is a leading proponent of water equity for indigenous Canadians.

Merrell-Ann is a Canadian lawyer with specialties in water rights and water law; serves on the International Joint Commission (U.S. and Canada – Boundary Waters agreement, 1909) lawyer, writer, strategist, negotiator, and relationship-builder who worked extensively in and with indigenous organizations on environmental, land, water, rights, and governance issues. 

She is the author of the book “Denying the Source: The Crisis of First Nations Water Rights” and co-author of “Ethical Water”. She is a member of Smart Prosperity, the Forum for Leadership on Water and is a recipient of the Clean 50 Award. She is legal counsel and advisor to several First Nation governments and regularly speaks on governance, water, and rights issues. Merrell-Ann is also the co-host of "Porcupine", a smart and entertaining podcast on reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians.

Dr. Tindimugaya has helped manage and address the challenges of transboundary water resources.


Dr. Callist Tindimugaya is a Water Resources Specialist that has been working with the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda for over 30 years. Currently, he is the Head of the Department for Water Resources Planning and Regulation with overall responsibility for ensuring sustainable and equitable utilization and protection of water resources of Uganda.  Callist has represented Uganda for over 15 years in international and transboundary water resources programs and initiatives such as the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), Inter Government Authority on Development (IGAD), and UNESCO’s International Hydrological Program. He is also the Regional Coordinator of the Nile Basin Capacity Building network, established for building capacity in Integrated Water Resources Management.

Callist received his doctoral degree from University College London, where he studied the movement and storage of groundwater in Ugandan aquifers.  His research assessed two productive aquifers using environmental tracers and aquifer responses to hydraulic stress.  A better understanding of the relationship between the geomorphology and hydrogeology of deeply weathered environments can help set realistic targets for water security in groundwater-dependent communities

--------------

The seventh OU International WaTER Symposium will be held on Tuesday evening, September 21, 2021, 6:30 - 9:00 pm in the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom of the University of Oklahoma. In the evening's program, which includes a banquet dinner, the five jurors will share some of their own research and experiences in the field through short presentations and a panel discussion on pertinent water issues of our day.

The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP here.

Dr. Robert Nairn addresses the 2018 Water Symposium and Prize announcement.

International Water Prize Announcement and Symposium

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | 6:30 - 9:00 PM

OKLAHOMA MEMORIAL UNION

Monday, May 10, 2021

International WaTER Symposium to be held September 21, 2021 - Save the Date!

Save the Date! - The seventh OU International WaTER Symposium will be held on Tuesday evening, September 21, 2021, in the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom of the University of Oklahoma. The primary purpose of the Symposium is to select and announce the next winner of the OU International Water Prize.

During the few days prior to the Symposium, a group of five distinguished jurors will each nominate an individual who is making a real difference in the hydrology, water security, and WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) sectors, especially for communities in need. After much discussion and some debate, these jurors will complete their deliberations, select a Prize winner, and announce the Prize winner at the Symposium event. In the evening's program, they will also share some of their own research and experiences in the field through short presentations and a panel discussion on pertinent water issues of our day.

Dr. David Sabatini addresses the Prize Banquet
at the 2019 International Water Conference

Martha Gebeyehu, 2019 Prize winner, is seen here
with family and friends on the night of the 2019 banquet


The Prize winner will come to campus next year (2022) for the International Water Conference, where she/he will give the Keynote Address and accept their Prize at the formal Banquet. This Prize is believed to be the first and largest prize dedicated to water supply, water resources, and/or sanitation in emerging regions.

Below is a brief introduction of this year's Prize jurors:


Ana Barros (University of Illinois - Department Head of Civil Engineering)

Ana has interests in hydrology, hydrometeorology and environmental physics with a focus on water-cycle processes in the coupled land-atmosphere-biosphere system, particularly in regions of complex terrain. Dr. Barros has expertise in the critical area of water security and environmental sustainability, with emphasis on the study of water cycle processes taking place in the land-atmosphere-biosphere system. 


Upmana Lall (Columbia University)

Dr. Lall is the Director of the Columbia Water Center and Editor-in-Chief of Water Security journal. He also leads the Global Water Sustainability Initiative which addresses global water scarcity and risk. The Global Flood Initiative is motivated by the need to predict, mitigate and manage floods at a global scale while recognizing climate drivers and supply chain impacts.

Merrell-Ann Phare (Phare Law Corporation, International Joint Commission)

Merrell-Ann is a Canadian lawyer with specialties in water rights and water law. She serves on the International Joint Commission (U.S. and Canada – Boundary Waters agreement, 1909). She is a lawyer, writer, strategist, negotiator and relationship-builder who has worked extensively in and with indigenous organizations on environmental, land, water, rights and governance issues. She has authored or co-authored two books on water ethics and the water rights of First Nations.


Aondover Tarhule (Illinois State University)

Dr. Tarhule has studied the impact of climate change on crop yields in the Niger River basin, the effects of particulate air pollution on public health in Burkina Faso, and the usage of satellite data to improve the water security index for regions in Africa. His work on the impacts of climate change on water scarcity and security has been featured in National Geographic and Nature.



Callist Tindimugaya (Uganda - Ministry of Water and Environment)

Dr. Tindimugaya's career has focused on groundwater protection and management in Africa. He has published articles in journals of hydrogeology which describe the importance of groundwater resources in the threats of urbanization, industrial development, agricultural and mining activities, and poor sanitation practices.


We look forward to welcoming these jurors to our lovely OU campus in the Fall!

More detailed information on ways to participate in the Symposium will be coming later this summer.

Friday, December 4, 2020

OU WaTER Symposium planned for Fall 2021

The pandemic has changed the way many of us live and work and go to school. But one thing has not changed - people across the world still need clean water for drinking and hygiene, and proper sanitation, perhaps now more than ever. Frequent hand washings are a part of daily life in the developed world, but an estimated 790 million people - 11% of the world's population - lack access to clean water and are thus more susceptible to infectious diseases such as Covid 19. 

The mission of the OU WaTER Center also has not changed - to promote peace by advancing human development through sustainable water and sanitation for all. But we are not alone. There are many men and women across the globe who are doing amazing work in the sharing of this mission. 

Dr. Robert Nairn addresses the 2018 Symposium participants at the banquet
in which the next Prize winner is announced. 

The purpose of the OU International Water Prize is to recognize and honor an individual, acting alone or as leader of an organization, who has made significant contributions, either through research or teaching or service activities, in the field of water supply, water resources or sanitation, particularly for small and impoverished villages/communities in rural or remote regions. This next Water Prize will be awarded to someone who has made this contribution in the field of hydrology and/or water security (HWS) for the benefit of disadvantaged communities. 


Martha Gebeyehu (center), sanitation expert in Ethiopia, is the winner of our
2019 International Water Prize.

Martha receives her Prize at the formal banquet that was part of the
2019 International Water Conference in Norman, Oklahoma.

Every two years the WaTER Center assembles a panel of 4-5 jurors who are themselves leaders in the fields of water, sanitation and water security. These jurors each nominate an individual who is making a real difference in the WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and water security sector. 

We are pleased to announce that the Prize jurors for the next OU International Water Prize are:

  • Ana Barros, University of Illinois 
  • Upmanu Lall, Columbia University
  • Aondover Tarhule, Illinois State University
  • Callist Tindimugaya, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda
These jurors will complete their deliberations, select a Prize winner, and announce the Prize winner at next Fall's Symposium. At this exciting event, they will also share some of their own research and experiences in the field.

The biennial Prize consists of a $25,000 cash award and a glass trophy developed by a local artist. The winner comes to campus the following year (2022) for the International Water Conference, where she/he will give the Keynote Address and accept their Prize at the formal Banquet. This Prize is believed to be the first and largest prize dedicated to water supply, water resources, and/or sanitation in emerging regions.

Stay tuned for the announcement of date for our Fall 2021 WaTER Symposium!






Thursday, December 3, 2020

SPOTLIGHT ON A PARTNER - Covid response from the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Each June in normal years, the OU WaTER Center supports staff and students to spend a month in Gulu, Uganda, working on a project or two in support of Sr. Rosemary Nyirumbe and her Catholic sisters. Needless to say, the year 2020 has not been a normal year! But the work of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus continues nonetheless.

Sr. Pasqua Binenanena oversees the liquid hand soap that is being made and distributed
by staff and orphans.

The orphan students are sewing face masks and making liquid hand soap to distribute to people in great need during this time of pandemic. In addition to residents of northern Uganda, there are hundreds of refugees crossing the border each day from South Sudan and the DRC. These families need food and clean drinking water, of course. But they also need proper hygiene for protection against the coronavirus pandemic. Uganda's Covid rate is 0.8 per 100,000, far less than the U.S., but the 14-day trend is upwards and the country's health care system might become easily overwhelmed if the rise continues. In addition, there is the ever-present concern about malaria which sickens people and reduces the number of constructive work days. 

Ugandan refugee families wait for need supplies during a time of crisis.

There are around 100 orphan girls who currently live at Saint Monica's Tailoring School for Girls in Gulu. (Because of Covid, the government has strict regulations on housing density.) The orphanage began as a home for girls who had been enslaved by Joseph Kony's army of rebels during the Ugandan civil war of the 1980s. Sr. Rosemary Nyirumbe gave the girls a safe place to live while they also earned valuable skills such as sewing, cooking and hair styling. For her humanitarian work, Sr. Rosemary was honored as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2014. 

The Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are donating much-needed items to the Congolese refugees who are escaping violence and fleeing into Uganda.

Dr. Ann Huynh is a physician in Austin, Texas. Her Foundation, Universal Angels Network, has been very supportive of Sr. Rosemary and her Sisters. This Foundation paid for a water tank last year and continues to support the Sisters through paying for medical training scholarships and providing for mosquito netting and materials for face masks and hand soap. 

Young people are making hand sanitizing soap to distribute to Congolese refugees and others in need during the pandemic. 

According to Sr. Pasqua Binenanena, about 2500 refugees passed into Uganda from DRC in the three months of summer alone. Uganda is known as the friendliest country to refugees in Africa. But even as it is trying to keep its borders closed due to the pandemic, families still find ways to escape the violence in their own country to a land that welcomes them, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Sr. Pasqua says that "their problems have been compounded by the lack of basic things like food. Refugees anywhere are a very vulnerable group because they are usually very exposed in their host countries away from home and they need to be protected."

Sr. Rosemary Nyirumbe is seen here at Saint Monica's Tailoring School in Gulu.

Because of the lockdown back in late spring, Sr. Rosemary herself has been "stuck" in the U.S. where she has been earning an advanced degree at the University of Oklahoma. She meets weekly with her staff back in Uganda via virtual meetings and sends her love back, along with whatever donations she can raise for them here from generous friends and benefactors. 

You can support the work of Sr. Rosemary and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by giving to the Sewing Hope Foundation.