Thank you for sharing another year of research, training, knowledge transfer, struggles, shared solidarity, and advocacy! We wish you a happy 2025!
2024 has been a year full of challenges and hopes for the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC, marked by the drive of international projects, the promotion of sustainability, and the strengthening of cooperation networks.
International Projects
This year, the project “Alliances for Climate and Health Emergency in the Aburrá Valley, Colombia” has successfully concluded. It was funded by the Global Justice Cooperation Program 2021 from the City Council of Barcelona. The main objective was to consolidate territorial alliances as a participatory governance model in urban-rural watersheds, through the co-design of resilient ecoinfrastructures to face climate and health emergencies, while recovering degraded urban spaces and promoting dialogue between social and institutional actors.
Another highlight is the design and creation of the Living Water and Biodiversity Museum in the Colombian Massif, Cauca, the first in the WAMUNET network in Colombia and Latin America. This museum, presented at COP16 in Cali, represents a significant step forward for water and biodiversity conservation, thanks to collaboration with local and international institutions such as WAMUNET (https://www.watermuseums.net), the Cauca Governor’s Office, the Cauca Regional Corporation (CRC), and the San Sebastián municipality.
The Chair also collaborated with Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) on ethnic strengthening projects with the indigenous Nutabe community of Orobajo. These projects focus on recovering their cultural memory, territorial reconfiguration, and protection of their rights in the department of Antioquia, Colombia. This community consists of about 57 recognized families scattered across several rural areas in the region. Currently, the Nutabe are engaged in recovering their cultural memory and reconfiguring their territory in the Cauca River canyon. In this context, the agreement with EPM promotes projects centered on empowering women, strengthening social fabric, and creating a media plan with an ethnic approach.
Participation in Global Events
2024 has solidified the promotion of ancestral hydrotechnologies as a tool for water sustainability. The Chair has participated in key events such as:
The 26th Session of the Intergovernmental Council of the UNESCO IHP in Paris, organizing a side-event on indigenous knowledge and the WEFE Nexus.
The 10th World Water Forum in Bali, participating in sessions on ancestral hydrotechnologies and nature-based solutions.
COP16 in Riyadh, presenting the Living Water and Biodiversity Museum.
R&D and New Projects
In research, significant progress has been made in the LIFE GreenAdapt project (https://lifegreenadapt.com), where microbial communities in the biofilm of filler materials, both gravel and electroactive material, are being monitored through molecular analysis, tracking the 16S rRNA gene with Illumina MIseq technology and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. The project is also conducting a complete life cycle analysis (LCA) of the different nature-based solutions (NbS) built, including conventional LCA, social LCA (sLCA), and cost LCA (LCCA).
Additionally, the PRIMA SureNexus project (https://surenexus.eu), formed by 15 partners from 7 Mediterranean countries, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool for decision-making based on the WEFE Nexus for climate change adaptation and sustainable development. The project is testing the efficiency of small solutions for farmers in real-scale demosites, assessing their productivity and value for the local community, promoting technology adoption, and changing mindsets. The most significant contribution of the project is an AI tool co-developed by the UPC INLAB and UNESCO Chair teams, which helps select technologies to improve the efficiency of the WEFE Nexus.
An agreement with UNEP/PNUMA will mark 2025 with a project to assess methane recovery and reduce emissions in wastewater treatment in Colombia, in collaboration with ECLAC.
Expansion and Recognition
This year, the UNESCOSOST network expanded with a new office at UNAE in Ecuador, and agreements were made with entities from the Gulf region and Africa. Locally, the exhibition of the Virtual Water Museum in Terrassa has strengthened the historical relationship with the city.
Farewell to Rosario Pastor
2024 was also marked by the loss of Rosario Pastor, a fundamental pillar of the Chair for the last 10 years. Her dedication and enthusiasm have left an indelible mark on research and international cooperation. Her memory and legacy will continue to inspire the future activities of the Chair. Rosario leaves a huge void, but her memory and legacy will remain as an inexhaustible source of inspiration in all our future activities and projects. Members and collaborators of the UNESCOSOST network, from our headquarters in Terrassa to Latin American offices—the land where she was born and left an unforgettable legacy—and many other places worldwide, come together at the beginning of 2025 to remember her and honor her commitment and passion. This union is not only an act of remembrance but also a reaffirmation of our commitment to continue the projects she initiated and those reflecting the values she so passionately defended: sustainability, inclusion, and international cooperation.
For a 2025 of peace, knowledge, and diversity. May this New Year inspire us to take care of our shared heritage, building together another inclusive and supportive year, committed to future generations and directed towards a sustainable and resilient future.
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