The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, has signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on water-related projects with faculty at the Water@Leeds Research Centre, University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.  This collaboration will focus on topics such as climate change, water quality and supply, flooding, drought, and regulatory issues.

This new relationship will help foster partnerships of research projects, teaching programs, and an exchange of faculty and students, according to George Czapar, head of the Center for Watershed Science at the ISWS and initiator of the collaboration.  

Similarities in the management of water resources present advantages, such as obtaining new perspectives on common problems and trying different approaches to address similar environmental concerns.

“Water management areas closely overlap between Leeds and Illinois,” Czapar said.  “Both are dealing with regulatory standards for contaminants in water, and both are interested in the impacts of climate change on water quality and quantity.  The uncertainty of how a changing climate affects water resources is especially important, and this will be an area for new projects.”

Group from Leeds, with Dr. Rebecca Slack
front-center, and Dr. George Czapar at right.