Ciudades y Comunidades Sostenibles

Maurizio Mulas, Ph.D., a professor and researcher at FICT-ESPOL, serves as the lead editor of the “Volcanoes of Ecuador and the Northern Andes: Eruptive Dynamics, Hazards, and Societal Impact” Topic Editorial Board for Frontiers in Earth Science. This editorial initiative aims to bring together research on eruptive dynamics, magmatic systems, volcanic monitoring, and hazards associated with the volcanoes of Ecuador and the Northern Andes. His participation strengthens ESPOL’s presence in international scientific communities, promotes exchange among researchers, and helps position research conducted in Ecuador within regional discussions on volcanic processes and risk management.

ESPOL participated in a project coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to improve the identification of sources of nitrate pollution and emerging contaminants in surface and groundwater. The Ecuadorian study was conducted primarily in Chanduy, Santa Elena, where six sampling campaigns were carried out between 2022 and 2025, incorporating physicochemical, hydrochemical, and isotopic analyses. The combination of nitrate isotopes and emerging contaminants provided information to distinguish between possible sources of pollution associated with agricultural and domestic activities, as well as other land uses.

FICT-ESPOL organized a technical conference on trenchless technologies for the rehabilitation of water and wastewater networks, aimed at students and professionals. During the event, solutions such as CIPP, spiral winding, flexible sleeves, pipe bursting, and horizontal directional drilling were presented, all designed to reduce project durations, urban impacts, and rehabilitation costs. The case of the Parson Sur sanitary sewer in Guayaquil was also discussed to analyze the challenges of the existing sanitary infrastructure and potential intervention options. The event strengthened the technical training of the civil engineering community through exchanges with specialists from industry and the public sector.

Faculty members from FICT-ESPOL reviewed the initial results of the surveys conducted in the municipality of Ayangue, identifying findings that will guide the next stages of analysis and the development of technical proposals. The project is being carried out through a partnership between ESPOL, the municipality of Ayangue, APESPOL, and retired ESPOL faculty members, bringing together academic knowledge, professional experience, and local expertise. This collaboration aims to generate information that will help strengthen the sustainability and resilience of the region and serve as a foundation for future actions that benefit the community.

Civil engineering students from FICT-ESPOL took a technical tour of La Llave’s facilities in Guayaquil as part of the “Building Systems / Installations” course. The tour provided an opportunity to learn about equipment and solutions for pumping systems, as well as technical criteria related to their selection, application, and installation in buildings. The tour, coordinated by Ingrid Orta Zambrano, M.Sc., and led by La Llave’s Omar Rodríguez, strengthened the connection between academic content and the technologies used in professional practice.

A researcher and professor at FICT presented a study at LACCEI 2026 on water management based on coastal fog (KamanchaKa), linked to sustainability and ecohydrology initiatives, thereby strengthening applied research and the development of solutions for responsible water management and community resilience.

FICT-ESPOL is promoting the nomination of the Gustavo Galindo campus as a UNESCO Ecohydrology Demonstration Site (SDE) through the proposal “ESPOL’s Ecohydrological System: Lakes and Albarradas in a Protective Forest Environment.” The initiative aims to highlight the value of these systems and the research, teaching, community engagement, environmental monitoring, and water management activities carried out on campus. To strengthen the nomination, professors, researchers, and various ESPOL units are working collaboratively to refine the proposal.

At the LACCEI international conference, FICT presented research on humanitarian engineering, engineering education, and sustainable water management, highlighting the collaborative work between academia and vulnerable communities and strengthening the international reach of its research.

ESPOL held a strategic meeting with representatives from the Manglaralto, Olón, and Valdivia water boards, along with CES academic advisor Dr. Ángela Calderón, to exchange experiences on sustainable water management and collaboration between academia and communities. The meeting featured presentations by Gloria Malavé, president of JAAPMAN, and Joselyne Solórzano, Ph.D. (c), who presented in Chile, as part of LACCEI, the humanitarian engineering project carried out in Manglaralto—an initiative internationally recognized by UNESCO as a Demonstration Site for Ecohydrology. The meeting reaffirmed the value of more than two decades of collaboration between ESPOL and local communities to strengthen water management and build local capacity.

FICT and the Municipal GAD of Biblián are planning a technical-scientific collaboration to study geological faults and potential threats in the region, generating information that will contribute to risk prevention, cantonal planning, and the practical training of students.