Environmental Engineering Graduate Students Go On UArctic’s WASH Winter School in Kuujjuaraapik, Quebec
Students and instructors gathered at CEN research station in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuaraapik for a field course on issues of water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) in Nunavik northern villages on March 30-April 4, 2026.
Professor Onita Basu and two of her graduate students in Environmental Engineering attended together. The learning days provided them the opportunity to discuss key issues to drinking water and wastewater in the Arctic with many mentors. These discussions also included proposals of solutions that are respectful to local communities while being sustainable.
“During our trip to Kuujjuarapik, the students were split into six groups and tasked with each addressing a problem related to water, sanitation, and hygiene that the communities in Nunavik brought forward. While Kaitlyn and I came into this program with a strong understanding of water in the North, we were able to gain new perspectives from students from non-engineering backgrounds. We were able to speak with local water system operators which allowed us to immerse ourselves in the community context. It is always so important to look at arctic and Indigenous challenges through multiple lenses, and having diversity in backgrounds helped us develop well-rounded solutions.
The mentors that joined us on this school were also so happy to talk about their experiences, we were able to learn about how engineering solutions differ in other arctic countries. The connections we made on this trip have been very meaningful, and hearing about everyone’s work has inspired us to explore and learn from other northern countries in the future!”
Raini Perera, Environmental Engineering graduate student