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International Opportunities The following are just a few of the many international opportunities available to civil engineers. Canadian national and international reconnaissance teams investigate the earthquake effects and damage caused by most major earthquakes in North America and other parts of the world.
Damage to a building because of the vertical offset from the rupture of the earthquake fault on the ground surface during the Chi-Chi earthquake, Taiwan, September 20, 1999, Magnitude 7.6 (photo courtesy of Dr. David Lau, Carleton University) Exploding Lake in Africa In 1986 a deadly cloud of CO2 gas was released from Lake Nyos in Cameroon, killing 1700 people. A team of international researchers has designed a 200 metre long siphon which releases the CO2 into the atmosphere at a controlled rate and prevents it from building up on the lake bottom. CIDA/CSCE Water Management Project The Canadian International Development Agency provided the financing for the CSCE Fergana Valley Peace Building Project involving the republics of Kirgystan, Tadjikistan and Uzbekistan. The people (over 80 ethnic groups) in these republics rely heavily on an abundant supply of clean fresh water from the mountains. There is a serious concern of potential water contamination by uranium waste dumps located close to one of the rivers. This could impact the entire valley in the event of an earthquake or landslide. The CIDA/CSCE hopes bring the 80 ethnic groups together peacefully to share the water supply in the valley and set up an information sharing process with local authorities in order to prevent major natural catastrophes and assist in further development. There is a special apprenticeship program for students interested in gaining experience in the field. |
