Paraná: universities provide their contribution on waste management
Within the framework of the participatory process of the Urban Environmental Plan (PUA), workshops were held on Integrated Urban Solid Waste Management (GIRSU).
The Municipality of Paraná, within the framework of the participatory process of the Urban Environmental Plan (PUA), carried out the second of three working days focused on Integrated Urban Solid Waste Management (GIRSU), with the aim of building consensus to design sustainable and long-term public policies.
On this occasion, representatives from the universities UTN and UNER presented on the topic through research and study groups, incorporating a technical-academic perspective to broaden the scope.
"The Urban Environmental Plan is a participatory process that we promote to build state policies that can be sustained over time. And the only way to achieve this is with the participation of citizens," highlighted the Secretary of Planning and Infrastructure, Eduardo Loréfice.
The official explained that the first workshop was aimed at developing a shared diagnosis of the current situation of the city, while this second meeting incorporated the academic perspective to enrich the debate.
"In the first meeting, diagnoses and coincidences emerged among the different actors (environmental organizations, cooperatives, urban recyclers, institutions, and neighbors). In this second instance, we added the perspective of universities because we understand that proper waste management requires integrating different knowledge and experiences to define guidelines that transcend government administrations," he stated.
During the second workshop, specialists from the National Technological University (UTN) Paraná Regional and the faculties of Engineering and Economic Sciences of the National University of Entre Ríos (UNER) shared research, experiences, and projects related to Integrated Urban Solid Waste Management (GIRSU). From UTN, architect Abelardo Llosa and engineer María Daniela García presented the paper "The integral and inclusive system of Urban Solid Waste Management: contributions to knowledge and experiences." Representing the Faculty of Engineering of UNER, the Research and Development Group in Energy and Environment (GIDEMA), through master bioengineer Javier Fernández, presented the institution's experiences in environmental education, circular economy, and territorial articulation.
Additionally, the Study Group on Public Health and Applied Technologies (GESPTA), represented by Dr. Fernando Sassetti and Dr. Martín Blettler, presented the paper "Social determinants of health: there are no successful public policies without adequate resources" and addressed the main environmental challenges and techniques for their treatment. Finally, Pablo Galarza, member of the Extension Secretariat team of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of UNER, presented the project "Green Clubs: Sustainable sports management."
Then, participants distributed into working groups to discuss four strategic axes of GIRSU: waste reduction and environmental education; source separation and collection system; urban recyclers and inclusion in the GIRSU system; and final disposal, sustainability, and governance of public policy.
The Coordinator of Participatory Strategies and Territorial Strengthening, Neri Ribero, pointed out that each of these stages presents complex challenges that require agreements among the different sectors involved. "The proposal is to put these issues on the table, identify the main challenges, and build principles of agreement that guide future public policies," he expressed.
For his part, the Dean of the National Technological University Paraná Regional, Alejandro Carrere, valued the call and highlighted the role of academic institutions in finding solutions for the city. "From the university, we respond to a social demand, getting involved in the search for solutions to problems such as urban solid waste management. We contribute knowledge from university extension and celebrate that this challenge is approached from multiple dimensions to improve the quality of life of the people of Paraná," he affirmed.
Furthermore, he emphasized that building solutions requires permanent articulation between technical knowledge and social reality. "Responses are not built solely within classrooms. It is essential to interact with reality, understand its complexity, and integrate that experience with technical knowledge to achieve more effective solutions," he concluded.
The third and final workshop will take place on June 29 and will be aimed at systematizing the contributions made and identifying the main consensuses reached during the participatory process.
