Goal 14 - Institutional Stewardship Initiatives
Institutional Mandates
Campus Planning and Design Guidelines for Implementation
The Campus Planning and Design Guidelines provides guidelines to support the vision and principles of sustainability, urban design and smart growth. The implementation of the plan is crucial for establishing the future of innovative campus development at the University of Alberta.
U of A Water Management Plan
Through its Water Management Plan, the University of Alberta develops strategies for resource conservation, decreased production waste, a minimized ecological footprint, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, and for building a culture of sustainability at the university and in the wider community.
Water Quality Treatment
EPCOR treats all water discharged from the University of Alberta before it enters surface waters. The water treatment process ensures that water quality meets standards indicated in the EPCOR Drainage Services Bylaw and the Government of Alberta’s Environmental Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Waters. This ensures that water discharges maintain sufficient quality to protect ecosystems, wildlife and human health.
Preventing Marine Pollution
The University of Alberta adheres to policies, regulations and processes established by provincial and municipal legislation that govern water.
This commitment includes strict compliance with local mandates such as the City of Edmonton and EPCOR Drainage Services Bylaw which details responsibilities of EPCOR and its customers with respect to drainage infrastructure, permitted and prohibited wastewater releases (and definitions of each category of prohibited, restricted and hazardous waste), and water release reporting requirements. The university disposes of waste according to the permitted and prohibited wastewater release guidelines and contributes to preserving freshwater and marine ecosystems from pollutants from land based activities.
Additionally the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act prohibits the release of a substance into the environment in excess of allowable amounts or at an amount that will cause a significant adverse effect. It requires approvals and strict guidelines for many industrial and municipal activities to ensure protection of water and biodiversity. Related, all University of Alberta land-based activities that involve the extraction or diversion of water must comply with the Alberta Water Act which regulates such activities, issues licenses and regulates the amount of water that can be used.
At a federal level, the Fisheries Act, prevents any person from polluting or depositing a deleterious substance (any substance that, if added to water, would degrade or alter the quality of the water so that it is deleterious to fish, fish habitat, or the use of fish by humans) into water frequented by fish. This prohibition does not just include direct-dumping into water bodies, but also applies to land-based activities that may eventually impact fish inhabited waters.
These rules and requirements from all three Acts above apply to all land-based activities in Canada, including those that take place on University of Alberta property and during University of Alberta activities and research activities undertaken by University of Alberta faculty, staff, students and researchers. The University of Alberta must adhere to these Provincial and Federal Acts.
Internally, the University of Alberta is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. The University of Alberta Water Management Plan strives to decrease water consumption through various measures which will result in environmental, social, and economic benefits for the university and the Edmonton region.
Key benefits include:
- Less chemicals produced for treatment
- Less industrial waste because of treatment
- Improved carbon storage due to maintaining wetland health
- Lowered instances of land erosion due to agricultural and irrigation requirements
- Less habitat degradation due to fewer surface water withdrawals
For research involving animals, the University of Alberta has an Animal Ethics Policy, which seeks to ensure responsible and ethical research involving animals when it has been deemed scientifically and/or educationally necessary. Fieldwork must undergo a Health, Safety and Environment Review, which makes sure all fieldwork is conducted with the necessary precautions to protect both the researchers and the environment.
The Environmental Management Assignment of Accountability Policy requires the University community to follow proper environmental hazard identification, assessment and control procedures to minimize risk to the environment. This includes reporting any spills or releases that occur, and safely disposing of waste in order to prevent pollution to marine ecosystems from land based activities.
These internal and external measures prevent marine and freshwater pollution from land-based activities and minimize environmental and public health risks.
Seafood Certifications
To help ensure that seafood served at the University of Alberta is sustainably harvested, Dining Services has chain-of-custody certifications from the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council through their contract with Aramark. Meals in Lister Hall and Peter Lougheed Hall may include certified basa, cod, haddock, pollock and sole.
Learning & Training Opportunities
Source to Tap Training
University of Alberta students and researchers involved in the for Water Strategic Network participated in the fifth annual Source to Tap Training event. Source to Tap Training dives into the complexities of watershed management connecting to rivers, lakes, and oceans. The Source to Tap Training program helps create a common language between the different stakeholders and fields involved in watershed management.
Tracking Change
Tracking Change is a multi-year social science research network of Indigenous communities, universities, governments and other organizations building capacity for documenting and sharing local and traditional knowledge about changes in the Mackenzie River Basin. Free lesson plans for NWT and Alberta Secondary Science Classrooms are available through Tracking Change. These lesson plans draw upon Indigenous knowledge and focus on freshwater river systems and aquatic stewardship.
Connecting Currents: A Watershed Journey of Collaboration and Learning
As part of the inaugural
Sustainable Fishing Practices - Educational Outreach and Events
The University of Alberta offers many educational research and outreach activities and events for local or national communities to raise awareness about sustainable fishing practices and the impacts of unsustainable practices such as overfishing.
Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre
The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, a research and educational outreach facility located on the pacific ocean, is a University of Alberta supported centre and hosts a "Summer Seminars" series which highlights scientific ocean and marine research happening at the centre including topics on sustainable utilization of oceans. This free, public series is open to everyone — from local community members to visiting scientists and curious minds around the world (no registration required). Also available are ocean field trips for high school students and university undergraduate students, and an Ocean Discovery Lab Tour for the general public.
Poesch Lab
University of Alberta researcher Dr. Mark Poesch manages the Poesch Lab for the conservation of freshwater fish. This research has four main themes, including: 1) threats to freshwater species at risk, 2) stream augmentation and hydrologic alteration, 3) climate change impacts to freshwater fishes, and 4) the spread and impact of invasive species. Dr. Poesch collaborates with regional and national communities including “Tracking Change: Local and Traditional Knowledge in Watershed Governance" where he is the co-investigator of freshwater fisheries, as well as a co-investigator with the “Canadian Freshwater Species at Risk Research Network”.
Alberta Conservation Association + the University of Alberta
The Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) is a research and learning centre that generates and freely communicates scientific knowledge to communities for the effective stewardship of Alberta's wildlife and fisheries resources. Dr. Mark Boyce, a University of Alberta professor, is a Director of the ACA and currently is the ACA / University of Alberta Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife.
Related Courses
Renewable Resources course for students at the University of Alberta (REN R 376) - Fisheries and Wildlife Management teaches principles of ecology as applied to the management of fisheries and wildlife communities. Topics include the growth and regulation of populations, interactions among species and their environments, tools and techniques used to assess and manage fisheries and wildlife. Special emphasis is placed in applying knowledge using case studies and class exercises to demonstrate key principles.
Water Resource Management Certificate
The University of Alberta’s Continuing Education offers several specialized training courses for professionals and organizations to increase competencies and knowledge in the management of aquatic resources in our environment. Water resource management courses focus on the management, evaluation, and monitoring requirements of surface water and groundwater. These courses are short, flexible, and will stack into a renewed certificate in Water Resource Management.
A Planet Called ‘Sea’: Researching and Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems
University of Alberta researchers across multiple disciplines are illuminating and addressing human impacts on life below water, spanning global ocean preservation to northern freshwater networks. This article, A Planet Called 'Sea', highlights the work of three researchers at the University of Alberta who are focused on the impacts of pollution, overfishing and warming oceans on global marine biodiversity to the epigenetics in declining Canadian salmonids. Read more about their work and the research contributing to SDG 14: Life Below Water.
University of Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society
The U of A Chapter of the Wildlife Society offers educational outreach and mentorship programs that promote sustainable, science-based wildlife management. Through community seminars and hands-on workshops, including an active ice fishing mentorship program led by University of Alberta Conservation Biology students, the chapter educates participants on responsible harvesting and conservation practices. By fostering positive relationships between the community and provincial ecosystems, these initiatives help raise awareness about sustainable fishing and the importance of protecting local wildlife habitats.