Diploma in Integrated Water Management Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Canada

Create solutions for global and local water issues with a career in water management. This program will prepare you for various roles such as water management specialist, water quality technician, watershed planner, flood planning technologist or junior hydrologist.

Get the training to become a water management expert and develop a strong understanding of the complex solutions and decisions required to balance the preservation of water-related ecosystems. Learn water management best practices to manage hazards, safeguard human health and well-being, and support economic activities. You’ll gain applied knowledge and market-sought skills developed through a final capstone project working directly with industry, as you specialize in either Water Environmental Technologies or Advanced Industry Applications. Your expertise will develop through a combination of classroom and hands-on learning including field school and virtual reality labs.

Some of the key skills or competencies developed in the Integrated Water Management program include:

• Develop a water monitoring program
• Conduct key field measurements in hydrology, hydrogeology, soils, and vegetation using commonly used and emerging equipment and technology
• Water data acquisition, management, and analysis to inform design and decision-making
• Perform hydrological and hydrogeological calculations to inform design such as surface flow, stormwater control or restoration measures
• Fundamental applications of GIS, Excel, HEC-RAS, and historical imagery
• Stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution
• Project planning and management
•  Select appropriate water management strategies and applications using multi-criteria analysis and systems thinking
•  Support water-related permitting applications and reporting, such as wetland assessments and Water Act approvals
•  Comprehensive understanding of the social, cultural, health, safety, and environmental aspects of water management, including Indigenous water stewardship
•  Develop emergency response and recovery plans incorporating increasing risks of extreme events and climate change
•  Conduct an emergency response adhering to incident command structure protocols
•  Apply tools, approaches, and resources for both climate adaptation and mitigation to water management

What is integrated water management?
Integrated water management is the coordinated management of water in an integrative, cross-sectoral, participatory and adaptive manner. This is a widely adopted management approach endorsed by the United Nations and utilized globally. SAIT, in combination with a multi-stakeholder advisory group and Imperial, has created the Integrated Water Management diploma program to give students the tools and expertise they need to work on solutions for both local and global water issues.

This initiative is the first integrated water program diploma in Canada. Graduates will have transferable skills for working in a multitude of industries such as energy, government, non-profit, consulting, health, agriculture, education, food and beverage, manufacturing, transportation, engineering and construction.

As a graduate of the Integrated Water Management diploma program you will recognize the role of total water management in identifying local solutions for global water issues. You will demonstrate knowledge of the complex elements, interfaces, and approaches considered in supporting practical integrated water management. As a student, you will acquire specialized applied knowledge and market-sought skills developed through a work-integrated capstone research project in either Water Environmental Technologies or Advanced Industry Applications.