Water and Environment Student Talk: June 7-9, 2015. Vancouver, BC

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The Water and Environment Student Talks, also known as WEST, is an interdisciplinary conference organized by students for students and young professionals whose work relates to the water sphere. An annual event that started in 2014, WEST hosts speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and poster presentations over three days every June to highlight current issues and the latest water developments. The two core pillars of WEST are:

Research plays a crucial role in safeguarding our water resources and
The threats facing our water systems are interdisciplinary in nature

These ideals are the reason for WEST, which provides a platform for students with a diverse array of backgrounds to present their water themed research. As emphasized by the WEST brand, the conference focuses on affairs and people from the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest is a loosely defined region that includes British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and their neighbours. It is a bastion of freshwater and a hub of water research and innovation that serves as the foundation for WEST. WEST is organized by graduate students from the University of British Columbia and is held in the city of Vancouver, BC.

This year’s theme, Today’s Ideas for Tomorrow’s Water, was chosen to inspire presenters to examine how their work will or could impact the future of our water resources. With continuing research, our understanding of water in the environment and the threats facing it is constantly changing. Research undertaken in the many disciplines that are connected to water is crucial to uncovering these challenges and finding solutions, but must be utilized concertedly due to the complexity and scale of environmental threats. WEST 2015 seeks to enhance understanding between the different water-related fields in order to capitalize on the latest research and their potential benefits to safeguarding our water.

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