“Interdisciplinary Approaches to Water Research” 

Every morning, I take the Edmonton city train across the Kisiskāciwani-sīpiy (North Saskatchewan River), and I thank the river. I thank it for providing me with water to drink, cook, and clean with. I thank it for recreation, for its strength, and for the lessons it teaches me; I think of all the connections over time I have with this river, both here and at other spaces along its expanse. I think of the beautiful relationship that the Indigenous Peoples have with water and consider how I can honour this relationship as a settler. This ritual prepares me for my day as a water researcher. Water gives so much to us, and it is so integral to life; I am sure this is why so many bright and caring people dedicate their lives to working with water.

With the pressures of daily life as a water professional, it is easy to forget or dismiss the connection that we all have with water. When we see water as a commodity to be optimised and sold, we inadvertently tell society that water is inanimate. It can be used and polluted if the polluter pays enough. This hurts the most vulnerable communities. In response to this, many would say that water is a right that must be protected, I would say, however, that I have learned that water is a responsibility. When we see something as a right, we think only of consumption and individualism. When we think of responsibility, we think of relationships. If we have a responsibility to protect water, to protect access to water for our most vulnerable, we are, in turn, protecting our rights while also doing so much more. This different perspective on water research is at the core of the work I do, and I hope to share this way of thinking with my fellow researchers and water professionals.

I know this can be challenging to prioritise while also prioritising technical focus. But as young water professionals, I believe we are all up for a challenge! While I know what this looks like for my research, I encourage other like-minded professionals to take some time and think about what this responsibility means or can mean to them.

Written by Emily Quecke

Emily Quecke MSc.(she/they) is an interdisciplinary PhD student whose work focuses on collaborative, community-based approaches to water research with vulnerable communities.
Emily’s primary department is environmental engineering and they work in the Arlos Research Group at the UofA. Emily is passionate about water quality and access, community health, social justice, and collaborative research. In her spare time Emily is a published poet and active community member on and off campus.