Welcome to the UNITAR Global Water Academy: York University e-courses! Please select the courses below to register in our free courses.
Please create an account, where we kindly request that you include the name of your country. If you require any assistance, please contact: ugwacord@yorku.ca.
Online Course:
On Thin Ice: The impacts of climate change on freshwater ice
Millions of people across northern countries have depended on freshwater ice for centuries, including for transportation, refrigeration, recreation, and even spirituality. Freshwater ice has been designated as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV) and is a sensitive indicator of climate.
We can use long-term historical ice records to understand how the climate is changing. In this course, we explore how and why freshwater ice is changing and why it matters for ecosystems, our livelihoods, and human safety.
Online Course:
An Introduction to Indigenous Relationships to Water on Turtle Island
This course examines Indigenous values and knowledge relating to water, focusing on how settler-colonialism in what is now called Canada has denied or inhibited Indigenous Peoples’ ability to relate to water.
Special attention is given to how Indigenous Knowledge can improve water management and governance practices, allowing greater access to clean water for all and sustainability for our ecosystems.
Seminar Course:
Introduction to Big Data for Water Sustainability
Over two billion people do not have safe access to clean water. Yet, quantifying the extent of global water insecurity, particularly when incorporating indicators such as freshwater quality, quantity, value, and governance, can be challenging.
We are in need of innovative and creative solutions to water sustainability management that are relevant at both local and global scales, and based on a data-driven approach. Large investments are made annually to acquire, compile, and analyze data on lakes, rivers, aquifers, groundwater, and wetlands around the world.