University offers its capabilities to work on reducing the effects of climate change
The announcement was made during a visit by the Minister of Public Works, Alfredo Moreno. Rector Rojas emphasized that this challenge must be addressed jointly with other institutions.
"We have offered the minister our ability to work together with other institutions so that we can all make good proposals that mitigate—at the very least—the effects of climate change in the region," said Rector Álvaro Rojas, after meeting with the Minister of Public Works, Alfredo Moreno, who visited the area to present the Maule Basin Strategic Water Management Plan 2020-2050.
The highest authority at our University stated that, as a result of climate change, we are facing a chronic agricultural emergency that has taken hold in our country. "The reduced availability of water is a real fact, with social, cultural, human, and productive implications," he stated.
"This motivates the University to collaborate in the search for solutions. Our University's installed capacity, with its highly robust teams at all levels, can generate initiatives that are of interest to national and regional government authorities," Rector Rojas emphasized.
In this regard, he maintained that the primary mission of state universities is to engage with major issues in the region, and "we have developed a body of work at different levels that allows us to make significant proposals."
For his part, the Secretary of State, who presented the Strategic Water Management Plan at the UTalca Extension Center, appreciated the opportunity to discuss the topic in a broad and informed manner. "We have to think not only about the emergency, but also about the long term," he emphasized.
Along with thanking UTalca for hosting the event, he indicated that it is necessary to confront the challenge of the water crisis caused by climate change in a united and unbiased manner, addressing aspects such as future public works, cultural changes, and water use. "This is a task that will take a very long time and is vital to the survival of the activities we carry out in the medium and long term," he added.
