Groundwater makes up 99% of the liquid fresh water on Earth. Not only is groundwater a vital water supply for humanity, it also sustains rivers, lakes, wetlands and ecological systems. The United Nations World Water Development Report of 2016 projects that the world could face a 40% global water deficit by 2030.
The Groundwater Project is a Canadian not-for-profit administered at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. Its mission is to provide free, high-quality groundwater educational materials online to all who want to learn—from children to groundwater professionals in both developing and developed countries. It publishes peer-reviewed books, translated in various languages and encompasses nearly the entire scope of groundwater.
“Golder has contributed to The Groundwater Project’s efforts, which will be matched by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada,” says Chris Coggans, Vice President, Global Industrial Market Leader.
In 2020 through to early 2021, 14 original books were published on their website, with traffic showing over 43,000 downloads in 160 countries. A further 200 books are currently being translated, which are intended to be published in the next year and beyond.
“This is a testimony of increased world recognition of The Groundwater Project across sectors, and we are proud to show our support for this important work with our donation,” says Chris.
The Groundwater Project has its roots in 2015 after Cathryn Ryan at the University of Calgary initiated the transfer of rights for the famous Groundwater textbook (Freeze & Cherry, 1979) back to their authors. To advance the state of the science worldwide, the authors then agreed to provide free downloads of the original text and translations through the Hydrogeologists Without Borders website. This great initiative provided the inspiration for the much larger Groundwater Project aimed at updating and largely expanding the coverage of the original book. As of today, more than 20 institutions are partnering with the Project.
Golder, a member of WSP, supports charitable organizations that are aligned with the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals. The Groundwater Project addresses several goals through the organizations educational resources including goal #4 Quality Education, #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, #9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and #12 Responsible Consumption and Production.
