The University of Saskatchewan (USask) leads Global Water Futures (GWF) Program, Canada First Research Excellence Fund in partnership with University of Waterloo, McMaster University and Wilfrid Laurier University. The GWF research program is funded in part by a $77.8-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. The overarching goal of the program is to deliver risk management solutions - informed by leading-edge water science and supported by innovative decision-making tools - to manage water futures in Canada and other cold regions where global warming is changing landscapes, ecosystems, and the water environment. GWF aims to position Canada as a global leader in water science for cold regions and addresses the strategic needs of the Canadian economy in adapting to change and managing risks of uncertain water futures and extreme events. End-user needs are critical inputs to drive strategy and shape GWF science.

The GWF network involves more than 478 stakeholders/ users, 190 researchers from 15 Canadian universities and 962 research personnel associate with 45 pan-Canada projects, and core teams including modelling and forecasting, computer science, knowledge mobilization, data and technical teams. Additional information is available at: https://gwf.usask.ca/

The following sections provides a detailed overview of the progress made during September 2016 to March 2020.