MEK is interested in research that will lead to improvements in techniques and policies related to water resources management and environmental protection. We are interested in teaming up with tertiary and research institutions to conduct top-notch research. Research areas of interest to MEK are listed below.
Research
Water Availability
- Studies to understand the fate and transport of physical, chemical, and microbial contaminants.
- Impact of land use changes and best management practices on pollutant loading in water.
- Understanding the impact of contaminants on ecosystem services, biotic indices, and higher organisms.
- Determining the assimilation capacity of the environment and time course of recovery following contamination.
- Improve the integrity of drinking water distribution systems.
- Identification of national hydrologic measurement needs and development of programs that will provide these measurements.
- Develop data collection and distribution in near real time for improved forecasting and water resources operation.
- Understanding recent increases in damages from floods and droughts.
Water Use
- Understand the determinants of water use in the agricultural, domestic, commercial, public, and industrial sectors.
- Develop more efficient water use and optimize the economic return for the water used.
- Understand water-related aspects of the sustainability of irrigated agriculture.
- Unravel the behaviour of aquatic ecosystems in a broad, systematic context, including their water requirements.
- Determine the interrelationship between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to support watershed management.
Water Institutions
- Understand key factors that affect water-related risk communication and decision-making processes.
- Understand user-organized institutions for water distribution, such as cooperatives, special districts, and mutual companies.
- Develop different processes for obtaining stakeholder input in forming water policies and plans.
- Understand cultural and ethical factors associated with water use.
- Conduct ex post research to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of past water policies and projects.
Working in consultation with our clients and associates, including research institutions in Canada and abroad, MEK will articulate the research problem and objectives, ultimately culminating in the creation of sound and robust research plans, proposals, and implementation.
