Local newspapers have published articles and news related to our project

Read them at the following link (only in Spanish)

1. March 22nd, 2023. "9 tips and tricks to save and reuse water" Interview with Santiago Nuñez and presentation of the main objectives.

Read it here https://elmercurio.com.ec/2023/03/22/agua-recomendaciones-cuidado-hogar/

2. May 28th, 2023. "SWACH: Sustainble water management in southern Ecuador", by Ana Elizabeth Ochoa, project coordinator. 

Read it here http://elmercurio.com.ec/.../swach-manejo-sostenible-agua/

CALL FOR PhD STUDENT POSITION

Sustainable water management under climate change in Southern Ecuador – SWACH, launched by University of Azuay, University of Cuenca and KU Leuven offers a:

PhD student position

To develop proposals in drinkable water adaptative management in Cuenca city under climate change scenarios.

JTogether with the communities, various activities were carried out, such as introducing the project's approach and objectives. These meetings were crucial for engaging neighborhoods in the SWACH project and setting goals to achieve. During these meetings, individuals in the study areas suggested educational activities to be conducted in order to further involve the community, aiming to build collaborative relationships and raise awareness about water management.

Board Game

The activities took place on July 8th at Casa para Todos Park and on July 15th at Villa Nueva Park, involving both children and adults from the three communities with which we have been working.

Community workshop Casa para todos

Community workshop barrio Villanueva

During the first year (2022-2023), two workshops and various meetings with authorities and researchers from the University of Azuay, the University of Cuenca, and ETAPA EP were held. The purpose of the workshops was to present the project's objectives and progress and to establish agreements among stakeholders for future activities within the project.

In the second workshop, participants worked in groups on various topics, including hydrometeorology, a pilot plan on water consumption habits in the population, strategies for adapting to climate change in water resources, and water quality. To conclude the workshop, a representative from each working group presented the goals and conclusions agreed upon for future activities. Participants from each working group hold frequent meetings.

Between January 30th and February 2nd, researchers involved in the SWACH project from the Belgian University KU Leuven visited Cuenca. During their stay, we held meetings with authorities of University of Azuay and University of Cuenca. Moreover, they participated on technical field trips to the upper Tomebamba catchment. Finally, exposition events and workshops about the research lines of the project members and events with our partner ETAPA. The idea was to share the expected outcomes of the national and foreign researchers and find sinergies.

Another workshop with ETAPA is planned for in July 2023 as well as monthly virtual meetings with our international partners.

SWACH was present at the 2023 European Geosciences Union congress (EGU) in Viena, Austria with two presentations. 

First, an oral presentation by our doctoral researcher Santiago Nuñez. He presented results from previous and ongoing research related to his doctoral research. The title was "Climate change impacts on IDF curves, catchment runoff and urban flooding in Quito, Ecuador". The results are part of the background to develop new studies about the impacts of climate change in andean cities, with a main focus in Cuenca.

The second presentation was in charge of our researcher Johanna Ochoa. She is a teacher at University of Azuay and she presented a poster about the description, objectives and scope of the SWACH project. The integrality and participatory approach of the project were highlighted.

We expect to participate in similar events during the next years. We intend to attend and present results at national and international congresses to share the generated knowledge and outcomes.