A delegation from the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC participated from October 23 to 25, 2023. During the meeting, it was agreed that the Chair would become an observer in this group and would coordinate the development of an Inventory of Ancestral Hydrotechnologies in Latin America and the Caribbean (PHI-LAC Technical Series).
The Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (PHI) of UNESCO is a long-term program whose programmatic focus has undergone a profound transformation from a single-discipline (hydrological) approach to a multidisciplinary entity aimed at promoting hydrological knowledge through support for scientific research and educational programs. The increased presence of social science components, including the enhancement of the quality and quantity of contributions from citizen science, has capitalized on the recognition that solutions to global water-related issues are not only technical, engineering, or natural science matters but also have strong human and sociocultural dimensions, where social sciences play an increasingly important role.
The recognition that water is a concern for everyone and that many decisions affecting water resources are made outside the water sector gradually impels PHI to strengthen learning opportunities for stakeholders, from local communities to high-level policymakers.
Within PHI in Latin America and the Caribbean (PHI-LAC), the working group on Education and Water Cultures seeks to promote water education at all levels, strengthen the professional, technical, and institutional competencies of water sector organizations, promote understanding of cultural aspects related to water, foster gender equity in the water sector, and raise awareness about water issues through community communication. To achieve these goals, the group meets periodically to plan and implement various products, including publications, seminars, and courses.
The main objectives of the seminar on Education and Water Cultures held in Buzios, Brazil, are:
Share, disseminate, and update the current situation regarding education in water resources, as it is a PHI objective to collaborate in the development of human resources responsible for advancing science and technology innovatively, generating integrated scientific knowledge from diverse data, knowledge, experiences, and objective facts obtained thus far, and widely sharing and implementing this knowledge in water resources.
Review an educational strategy for learning fundamental topics to achieve water security in Latin America and the Caribbean, considering that effective governance of water resources is achieved through science and technology-based decisions that take into account the relationship between humans and water.
Seek synergies for training in the context of the water-solid waste relationship, particularly regarding microplastics and aquifer pollution.
During the meeting, Dr. Jordi Morató presented the conference on Ancestral Hydrotechnologies as a response to the climate emergency: the use of cultural heritage for future rescue.
The UNESCO Chair on Sustainability becomes part of GTEyCA as an observer and will coordinate with other members the development of an Inventory of Ancestral Hydrotechnologies in Latin America and the Caribbean (PHI-LAC Technical Series)
The participants in the meeting were:
UNESCO Chairs
Water, Women, and Development, Federal University of Ouro Preto-UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Water and Education for Sustainable Development, National University of Litoral, Argentina
Water and Culture, Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences, University of the Republic (UDELAR), Uruguay
Tropical Water Management, Ikiam Amazon Regional University, Ecuador
Urban Water Quality Management: Recovery and Reuse, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Urban Drainage in Coastal Land Regions, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Natural Resource Management, Territorial Planning, and Environmental Protection / EULA Chile, and Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Concepción (Chile)
Sustainability, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona, Spain.
UNESCO Cat II Center under the auspices:
Regional Center for Water Security (CERSHI)
Members of the Working Group on Education and Water Cultures of PHI-LAC (GTEyCA)