Acción por el Clima

A study by ESPOL published in a Q1 scientific journal developed a model to identify areas with high groundwater potential in Manabí, providing information to guide the exploration, monitoring, and conservation of this resource in the face of drought challenges.

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 and the Decentralized Autonomous Provincial Government of Santa Elena made progress in drafting a specific agreement to strengthen the management and mitigation of risks from floods and landslides associated with the El Niño phenomenon. The proposal calls for the creation of risk maps that will provide technical information for land-use planning and decision-making. During the event, the book Pozos de Esperanza was also presented; this publication aims to promote the conservation and sustainable use of water. The collaboration between the two institutions strengthens cooperation on issues of territorial resilience, water management, and natural hazard prevention.

Ph.D. candidates from ESPOL present the results of the GEPOA project, a platform that integrates satellite data to strengthen the monitoring of marine protected areas and the early detection of weather events, thereby promoting applied research and environmental management in Ecuador.

FICT and CIPAT participated in the 31st International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring, and Management of Air Pollution (Air Pollution 2026), held in Bristol, United Kingdom. During the conference, Jairo Dueñas, M.Sc., presented a study on the spatial and temporal variability of PM2.5 in coastal and urban areas of southern Ecuador during the rainy season; Paúl Carrión, dean of FICT, was among the study’s authors. This participation helped raise the profile of ESPOL’s research and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration on environmental issues.

Researchers and students from FICT participated in the 9th Earth Sciences Conference, presenting studies on water management, geological hazards, and volcanic dynamics in the Galápagos Islands. The research provides tools for sustainable planning, natural hazard management, and decision-making based on scientific evidence, strengthening ESPOL’s presence in one of the country’s leading forums for scientific dissemination.

An international study involving ESPOL assessed the environmental condition of the soil at the Petaquilla mine in Panama more than a decade after its closure. The study identified areas contaminated with heavy metals and hydrocarbons, determined priority areas for restoration, and analyzed the risks to human health, providing key information for the sustainable recovery of areas affected by mining activity.

Researchers and technical staff from FICT and CIPAT participated in an international event organized by UNESCO and the European RESILIAGE project at the Tungurahua Volcano Geopark. The event fostered the exchange of knowledge on community resilience, heritage, risk management, and climate change adaptation through workshops and visits to vulnerable areas.

FICT and CIPAT strengthened their cooperation with the Santa Elena Prefecture to promote risk management and land-use planning initiatives, working on the development of maps showing susceptibility to flooding and landslides; they also presented the progress made on the Santa Elena Peninsula Geopark project and highlighted initiatives that promote conservation, research, and sustainable development in the province.

Researchers at FICT-ESPOL published a study proposing bipolar membrane electrodialysis as an innovative alternative for capturing CO₂ from various types of water; the results show lower energy consumption compared to conventional technologies and open up new opportunities for sustainable applications and carbon reuse in the face of climate change.