United Nations University Hub at UCalgary
Empowering Communities to Adapt to Environmental Change
The United Nations University Hub on Empowering Communities to Adapt to Environmental Change at UCalgary is the world’s first UNU Hub. Established in partnership with the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), the Hub connects UCalgary research, education and engagement with the wider United Nations University system. Working through the University of Calgary’s Water Institute, the Hub advances research, training, knowledge mobilization and international collaboration that help communities anticipate and adapt to environmental change.
The Hub brings together researchers, students, communities and partners to improve understanding of environmental change, develop practical and policy-relevant solutions, strengthen skills and training, and mobilize knowledge within Canada and internationally. Its work emphasizes equitable and community-informed approaches, including collaboration with Indigenous communities and partners in the Global South.
Contacts
Dr. Martyn Clark, PhD
Co-Director
martyn.clark@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Kerry Black, PhD
Co-Director
kerry.black@ucalgary.ca
David Barrett
Manager
david.barrett@ucalgary.ca
General inbox
water@ucalgary.ca
Research Clusters
The Hub’s efforts are organized through three interdisciplinary clusters aligned with the Water Institute’s research themes. The research clusters are led by world-class scholars, collaborating to bring their expertise to bear on four essential areas of water studies. The clusters will build on UCalgary’s institutional capacity and infrastructure in these areas.
Aquatic ecosystems and One Health
This cluster examines how environmental change, pollution and human activity affect aquatic ecosystems and the interconnected health of people, animals and the environment. Its work supports improved surveillance, assessment and management of water quality, ecosystem condition and emerging One Health risks and is co-led by Drs. Karin Orsel and Fred Wrona.
Environmental predictions for water sustainability
This cluster develops and applies environmental prediction tools to improve understanding of changing water availability, drought, floods, snow and ice, and other shifts in the water cycle. Its work supports more anticipatory and adaptive water management from local to global scales and is co-led by Drs. Erin Nicholls and Alain Pietroniro.
Planetary health and Indigenous community resilience
This Indigenous-led cluster advances community priorities, Indigenous knowledge systems and inclusive approaches to water and environmental decision-making. Its work connects water, climate, community well-being and planetary health while supporting respectful, community-driven research and stronger long-term resilience and is led by Dr. Deborah McGregor.
Read the story
UCalgary to be named home of world’s 1st United Nations University Hub focused on water
From left: Alexandra Bugailiskis, Andre Buret, Marjan Eggermont, Tshilidzi Marwala, Kaveh Madani, Martyn Clark.
Training and capacity sharing
The Hub supports interdisciplinary education and experiential learning in water, climate, health and sustainability. Current and emerging opportunities include UCalgary’s Water Resilience specialization, joint UCalgary–UNU graduate pathways in Global Water Resilience, the One Health Summer Institute, student-led programming, and the development of co-supervised UNU-affiliated internships, micro-credentials and open-access learning resources (under development).
The Transdisciplinary Research PhD program’s specialization in Water Resilience launched in Fall 2025 and is supported by faculty associated with the Hub. Alongside this, UCalgary and UNU-INWEH are finalizing joint master’s and PhD pathways in Transdisciplinary Research with a Specialization in Global Water Resilience. A pathway for eligible existing students is planned for Fall 2026, with recruitment for new students anticipated for fall 2027, subject to final institutional approvals.
Outreach
The Hub works to move research into practice through public engagement, policy dialogue, collaborative events, and accessible knowledge products. Recent activities have connected UCalgary expertise with communities, governments, local non-profits, international organizations, and the wider UN system through public water programming, science-diplomacy discussions, student-led initiatives and international partnerships.
UNU Hub featured events
UNU Hub Publications
Authors bolded below are members of the Water Institute.
| Author(s) | Title | Publication | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eythorsson, D. and Clark, M. | Toward Automated Scientific Discovery in Hydrology: The Opportunities and Dangers of AI Augmented Research Frameworks | Hydrological Processes | 2025 | This commentary explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform hydrological modelling workflows. We introduce a prototype AI-assisted framework called INDRA (Intelligent Network for Dynamic River Analysis) that leverages a multi-agent architecture composed of specialised large language models (LLMs) to assist in model conceptualization, configuration, execution, and interpretation. INDRA integrates with CONFLUENCE, a comprehensive modelling framework, to provide context-aware guidance and automation throughout the modelling process. |
| Murgatroyd, K., Barrett, D. C., Peter, B., Wrona, F. J., & Black, K. | Lake monitoring and research efforts in Alberta, Canada: an assessment of 15-years of published literature focusing on assessing research collaborations and partnerships | Canadian Water Resources Journal | 2026 | The current extent of published academic literature, with regards to lakes in Alberta, largely excludes Indigenous collaborators in authorship roles. Though freshwater data repositories for monitoring and research programs exist, there is little evidence of their usage in the published academic literature. Improvements to the standardization and structure of data repositories, including the submission of comprehensive metadata, should be a priority for monitoring and research programs. More Indigenous data sovereignty training and awareness needs to be included in academic and governmental research training and review processes. Academic journals need better guidelines, editorial training, and more Indigenous representation on editorial boards, to help promote the inclusion of Indigenous and community-based scientific contributions. |
| Barrett, D.C., Sayles, B.K., Sutherland, A.M., Beaulieu, V., Crow Chief, R., Pietsch, W., Black, K. | Understanding collaborations and community partnerships in aquatic research: a review of literature from the Bow River Basin, 2014–2024 | FACETS | 2025 | Key recommendations include mandatory Indigenous data stewardship training, flexible funding structures to support relationship-building, and recognition of nontraditional research deliverables. The findings underscore the urgent need for equitable partnerships that center Indigenous voices from project inception to dissemination, ensuring culturally relevant and sustainable water management in the Bow River Basin and more broadly. |
| Nawar, F., Barrett, D.C., Wrona, F.J. | Decadal Shifts in Algal Composition and Related Physicochemical Variables in Alberta’s Seasonally Ice-Covered Lakes, with a Particular Focus on Taxa That Produces Harmful Algal Blooms | Canadian Water Resources Journal | 2026 | Overall, our results indicate that responses of seasonally ice-covered lakes to climate warming and nutrient enrichment are strongly mediated by lake-specific physical and trophic characteristics, with differences in mixing regime associated with contrasting trajectories in algal community reorganization and HAB-forming cyanobacteria. |