Water & Climate Impacts Research Centre

The Water & Climate Impacts Research Centre (W-CIRC) was established in September 2002 at the University of Victoria (UVic) as part of a co-location agreement between UVic and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) of Environment Canada (EC).

The main goal was to enhance collaboration with university researchers and other EC scientists at UVic to enhance delivery on the scientific mandate of EC’s Aquatic Ecosystem Impacts Research Division.

A primary focus of W-CIRC's current research is participation in the hydrology, hydro-climatology, hydrologic-hydraulic modelling, sediment processes and ecological flow needs sub-components of the Water Quantity/Hydrology/Sediment program that forms part of EC's ‘world-class’ Oil Sands monitoring program. Additional areas of scientific foci are on the hydrologic and ecological impacts of atmospheric change and variability, particularly in the Canadian Arctic.

Also affiliated with the centre are Environment Canada scientists and research technicians located at the National Hydrology Research Centre (NHRC) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and the Canadian Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW) in Burlington, Ontario.

Through the co-location model W-CIRC has established, grown and built a renowned network of academic scientists over the previous 10 years who are now working in collaboration to fulfill W-CIRC’s program delivery as it relates to EC’s mandate.