The Faculty of Geosciences Engineering (FICT) and the Center for Research and Applied Projects in Earth Sciences (CIPAT) participated in the international event “Building Resilience Through Heritage for Disaster Risk Reduction,” organized by UNESCO as part of the European Union’s RESILIAGE project, which is being carried out at the Tungurahua Volcano Geopark in Baños de Agua Santa.
Sebastián Suárez, a technician at FICT, along with Emily Sánchez and Joao Córdova, researchers at CIPAT, represented ESPOL at this forum for technical and community exchange focused on strengthening understanding of the connections between cultural and natural heritage, community resilience, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.
“Throughout the workshop, we visited areas vulnerable to disasters associated with Tungurahua’s volcanic activity and landslides, where we heard testimonies and experiences from people directly affected by these events.” (Testimony from technician Sebastián Suárez).
Also participating in the event were Verónica Minaya and Farzaneh Aliakbari, representatives from UNESCO; Rosa Tamborrino, coordinator of RESILIAGE; and Myriam Piray, representative of the Tungurahua Geopark, who shared experiences and methodologies related to risk management and territorial sustainability.
As part of the activities, visits were made to areas vulnerable to disasters associated with volcanic activity at Tungurahua and to landslides. In these areas, participants heard testimonies and learned about the experiences of those affected, which helped put the challenges facing the communities into context and reinforced the workshop’s practical focus.
The participation of ESPOL’s technical staff and researchers contributes to strengthening institutional capacities in risk management and climate change adaptation. It also promotes the integration of academic knowledge with local realities, in line with the university’s commitment to sustainable development and community resilience.
Event organization.
Verónica Minaya - UNESCO
Farzaneh Aliakbari - UNESCO
Rosa Tamborrino - Coordinator of RESILIAGE
Myriam Piray - Tungurahua Geopark
People who carried out the activity.
Sebastián Suárez - FICT Teaching Technician
Emily Sánchez - CIPAT Researcher
Joao Córdova - CIPAT Researcher
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13: Climate Action
