Last Friday our collaborator, friend, and beloved Rosario Pastor, Charo, left us. Rosario has been one of the most prominent figures at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability over the last 10 years. Her dedication and enthusiasm have been unparalleled, always open to energizing international networks and generating new collaboration proposals among research groups and international cooperation. Her legacy will endure in all the projects she participated in and in the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to work with her. Her absence will be deeply felt, but her influence and contributions will continue to inspire us.
It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the premature passing of our dear colleague and friend Rosario Pastor. Rosario has been a fundamental pillar in the growth and development of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC, serving as the head of strategic projects for the UNESCO Chair over the last 10 years. Beyond her significant professional and academic contributions to research and sustainability promotion, she will be remembered by colleagues, teachers, and students for her exceptional humanity, kindness, humility, and passionate dedication to any project or initiative she was involved in.
Rosario leaves a profound void, but her memory and legacy will continue to be present in our activities and future projects. Members and collaborators of the UNESCOSOST network, from our headquarters in Terrassa, from the Latin American offices where Rosario originated, and from many other parts of the world, join together today to express our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones, remembering her with great affection.
UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC
Rosario was a Sanitary Engineer from the National University of Engineering in Peru, a Technical Engineer in Public Works specializing in Hydrology from UPC, and a Ph.D. from UPC. She began her relationship with UPC as a research fellow in 1999. After a period at Ramon Llull University, where she coordinated the UNESCO Chair on Education, Development, and Technology - URL Chair and its Doctoral Program for Latin America (2004-2014), she joined the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC in late July 2014 as the head of Strategic Projects. Since 2019, she also served as an associate professor at UPC.
Her work in coordinating international cooperation projects is noteworthy, particularly those funded by the Barcelona Provincial Council, especially in the Cuzco region of Peru between 2014 and 2018.
Since 2021, she co-led the development of research on Ancestral Hydrologies at the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, starting on February 26, 2021, with the launch of the "Good Practices on Ancestral Hydrologies for Climate Emergency" call, inviting the presentation of experiences and case studies of ancestral hydro-technologies from Latin America and the Caribbean. The selected proposals were presented in two sessions on March 11 and 18, organized by the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, the Montevideo Office of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program of UNESCO for Latin America and the Caribbean (PHI-LAC), and the "Education and Water Cultures Working Group in Latin America and the Caribbean" (GT ECA-LAC), in collaboration with the RECNET, NATURA networks, and the CYTED Water Harvesting and Management Network. All these institutions joined efforts to promote and revitalize ancestral hydro-technologies, with significant participation, finally gathering 187 attendees from 23 countries.
Her work continued in subsequent sessions and workshops, such as the Intercoonecta Seminar "Ancestral Hydro-technologies as a Response to Climate, Health, and Food Emergencies," co-organized with AECID and the Conference of Ibero-American Water Directors (CODIA), where 55 good practices were presented with 135 participants and 20 international speakers, and the International Conference "Ancestral Hydrotechnologies as a Response to Climate, Health, and Food Emergencies, Good practices in the Mediterranean and Latin America - Use of Cultural Heritage to Rescue the Future," a hybrid conference held in Barcelona with 483 participants from 37 countries. Currently, we were preparing to present the book edited by UNESCO-PHI in Latin America and CODIA and AECID, "Good Practices on Ancestral Hydro-technologies as a Response to Climate, Health, and Food Emergencies. Case Studies in Latin America." Undoubtedly, the presentation of the book planned for the fall of 2024 will be another reason to honor her memory.
Next, we would like to share a few words in memory of Charo, expressed by her colleagues and friends. These words reflect the impact she had on our lives and her invaluable contribution to our community
I met Rosario in 2007 through a wetlands workshop, and since then, our friendship naturally blossomed. It wasn't difficult—Rosario was a genuine person, full of energy and enthusiasm. Thanks to her, we built the pilot plant for wastewater treatment with wetlands at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Lima, Peru. Today, the plant is an important demonstration and training area; we took this photo right there. Over the years, we've worked on several projects and maintained a beautiful friendship. We will hardly forget you; you will always be in our hearts. Hugs to the sky!!!
Dra. Rosa Maria Miglio. Univ. Agraria La Molina. Lima, Perú.
With deep nostalgia at seeing off a great person, professional, and friend, Dr. Rosario Pastor Z., we leave this message to express our profound gratitude for your friendship and unwavering affection. Thank you for all the connections we built with you and through you. Thank you for sharing pleasant professional moments and spaces of friendship. We will remember you always with a heartfelt smile, generosity, and concern for contributing to international cooperation from Barcelona, with Latin America, and particularly with Peru. Those of us who remain in this dimension will always remember you, and you leave us with the responsibility to keep active the group of professionals and friends who share a love for nature-based solutions.
Dra. Gladys Vidal. Directora CRHIAM, Centro Fondap de ANID (www.crhiam.cl) Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
I had the pleasure of meeting Charo in 1996, when we both coincided at UPC in Barcelona as students. Despite my leaving Barcelona, I did not lose contact with Charo, and over all these years, I had the privilege of sharing research, work, but above all, her generous friendship and passion for promoting development, research, sharing knowledge, and working for her beloved Peru and the rest of Latin America. Undoubtedly, knowing Charo, her family, and having had the opportunity to coincide in multiple social, academic, and research activities with her was a privilege. Charo's qualities are countless, but I must highlight her detachment from material things and her eagerness to help others without expecting anything in return; for her, the greatest reward was the satisfaction of having done good.
Charo will be missed by all of us, who she enriched with her warmth, good humor, and affection, teaching us to live for others. Charo, rest in peace, and we will miss you immeasurably.
Carlos A. Arias, Ph.D. Senior Researcher. Department of Biology. Aarhus Univ.
For more than 10 years, I had the opportunity to work with Rosario on various projects. Her impressive career will make me remember her as one of my professional role models. But it's her joy and optimism that have left a mark on those fortunate enough to have known her. Brent Villanueva, Technical Secretary, UNESCO Chair.
Rosario, you were sweetness personified, a joy of life. How much I already miss you. We shared so many good, unforgettable moments. Your friend, Joan García. Prof. Joan Garcia. GEMMA-Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech.
I met Rosario Pastor, Charo to her friends, back in distant 1997, during the renowned Master's in Water Technology at UPC, at the Campus IPCT in Terrassa. We were very young, and it was through you, Rosario, that I began to learn about international cooperation. Surely in those distant, almost prehistoric times, discussing the Incas, I began to grasp the potential of Ancestral Hydrologies. I can only express gratitude to Charo for the networks she developed, nurtured, and maintained. Undoubtedly, that was one of the many lessons we owe to her. Reflecting on the colleagues who continue to work with the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, I realize that many I met thanks to Charo. Those of us fortunate enough to have known her will always remember her. Her ability to connect people and projects, along with her humility and kindness, made her unique and close to everyone. From the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC and on a personal level, we want to thank you for your enormous work and dedication. Thank you for sharing this international adventure, always maintaining a smile. That is another of the great legacies you leave us, one we will always strive to uphold.
Prof. Jordi Morató. PhD. Director Càtedra UNESCO de Sostenibilitat de la UPC.
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