Topics

Water is a resource that is required by all lifeforms on Earth. From the trees outside to the ground below, water is an intricate and complex part of life. Increase your water knowledge, find useful facts, or engage in water topics throughout this section. 

Interesting Facts

Did you know  Canadian rivers discharge about 7% of the world’s renewable water supply annually.   However, of that water, about 60% flows north while about 85% of our population lives within 300km of the southern border.   This means that the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, with about 0.2% of Canada’s population have about 23% of Canada’s renewable water flowing through their territories.  
Alberta  
Canada  
World

Flood

Flooding is one of those topics that keeps coming up.   This section focuses on showcasing the research and impacts that are occurring around flooding generally, in Alberta specifically and content on how flood risk can be mitigated. 
Flooding in Alberta 
Flood Mitigation 
All flood topics

Drought

Cracked mud surrounding a pool of water

Drought is a “hot topic” right now, and is only getting hotter. This section focuses on explaining what drought is and talking about its effects.   In our “Drought in hindsight” section we share lessons from the Australian “Millenium drought” and showcase interviews with several drought experts ranging from government leaders to educators.  
Drought overview  
Drought in hindsight  
All drought topics  

Climate

Climate is, of course, a huge concern for many people around the world and is only becoming more of a concern as we see record fire seasons, “heat domes”, wide-spread droughts, changing precipitation patterns and changing growing seasons  This section focuses on showcasing the research and impacts that are occurring around climate variance and change. 
A Glossary of climate words worth knowing  
Disaster insurance  
All climate topics  

Water Sources

Earth’s water cycle is complex. This section breaks down the complexity, offering research on glaciers, groundwater and watersheds – all of which provide answers to this question.  
Watersheds
Glaciers
Groundwater  

Governance

Alberta is known for its wealth of pristine glacier rivers and lakes., Hhowever, this resource must be used within its designated means  Explore this section to learn more about water control guidelines and legislation in Alberta. 
Water Licenses and Transfers  
What is FITFIR  
What is “Water for Life” 

Infrastructure

Controlling and influencing the storage and delivery of water is integral to our way of life. There are numerous ways and reasons to influence the flow of water.  
Dams and reservoirs  
Green infrastructure 

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Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Board Member

Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.

Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Brian Mergelas

Brian Mergelas, PhD, ICD.D

Board Member

Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market.   With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry. 

Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector. 

He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency. 

Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field. 

Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation.   As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.