MILWAUKEE — The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has committed to WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified, a program of The Water Council that helps organizations improve their water stewardship practices.
WAVE, established in 2022, offers a continual improvement platform that gives participants clear pathways to improve water stewardship. The efforts are then independently verified by SCS Global Services.
Through participation in WAVE, UWM will identify water-related risks, launch action plans, and set goals and timelines that address water-related challenges and opportunities, including those posed by climate change. Participation in WAVE, along with UWM’s freshwater research, offers an unprecedented opportunity to students for hands-on training and real-world experience.
“As a top-tier research university with the nation’s only school dedicated to freshwater sciences, UWM strategically addresses water challenges and opportunities,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said. “Being an early adopter of WAVE is critical. We look forward to continued collaboration with The Water Council and are committed to expanding our role as a global leader in water stewardship.”
UW-Milwaukee was the first institution in the UW System to establish an Office of Sustainability and also first in the system to win the Green Ribbon Schools Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
In 2022, UWM developed the Climate Action-Carbon & Resilience Plan, which features an assessment of UWM’s strengths and vulnerabilities in the face of current and future climate intensification, highlighting the water-related risks of more rainfall and extreme storms. The plan provides proactive solutions to minimize future stormwater impacts on campus and plans for climate impacts we cannot avoid.
“Combined with UWM’s unique strengths in preserving freshwater resources and the development of new water technologies, the university has also demonstrated a vigorous commitment to making its campus a national sustainability leader,” said Dean Amhaus, The Water Council president and CEO. “Participation in WAVE is an opportunity to deepen and validate that sustainability commitment while also further exposing students and staff to the critical principles and applications of water stewardship required today and in the future.”
About The Water Council
The Water Council is a global hub dedicated to solving critical water challenges by driving innovation in freshwater technology and advancing water stewardship. Built on more than a century of innovation, The Water Council has coalesced one of the most concentrated and mature water technology clusters in the world from its headquarters at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Recognizing the need for smarter and more sustainable use of water worldwide, The Water Council also promotes water stewardship as a natural complement to water innovation in the effort to preserve freshwater resources in the Midwest and around the world. Today, The Water Council has established itself as a global leader in the water industry and one of America’s premier economic development clusters as recognized by government agencies, Brookings and the Harvard Business School.
About UWM
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has an ambitious mission as both a top-tier research university and an access institution, striving to ensure that students have equitable opportunities to earn a college degree. UWM educates a diverse student body of more than 23,000 students from 88 countries. About 39% of its undergraduates are first-generation college students. Its unique and top-rated programs include Wisconsin’s only accredited schools of architecture and public health, the only North American school dedicated solely to freshwater sciences and a film program ranked among the top 50 in the world. It has the largest and top-rated online education program in Wisconsin. UW-Milwaukee partners with leading companies to conduct joint research, promote entrepreneurship, provide student internships and serve as an economic engine for southeastern Wisconsin. The Princeton Review named UW-Milwaukee a 2023 “Best Midwestern” university based on overall academic excellence and student reviews.