With a day dedicated to reflection and environmental action, and for the second consecutive year, Civil Engineering students from the Santander de Quilichao Campus of our alma mater, under the academic coordination of the program and the Center for Regionalization, led the celebration of World Water Day on March 31.

The Northern Unicaucana Campus, located in the municipality of Santander de Quilichao, once again hosted an engaging space for reflection on the role of Civil Engineering in the conscious and sustainable use of water. The event addressed proposals for the protection of this resource from a professional practice perspective in this region of our department. The day included active participation from students, faculty, and administrative staff from the four academic programs offered at this campus, who received two technical talks in collaboration with the Corporation for Agropecuary and Environmental Development of Cauca (CORPODACA), where the Environmental Compensation Plan derived from the works of the dual carriageway Santander de Quilichao – Popayán was presented.

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This plan includes actions for protection, restoration, and ecological conservation on the campus land, in addition to protecting valuable flora and fauna inventory at the University. Simply marvelous!

Later, students led the conversation titled "The Future of Water in Northern Cauca: Reflections," a space where vital questions were raised to strengthen engineering programs with topics on the efficient use of water and environmental sustainability in civil project formulation.

It’s important to note that among the participants in the talk was Juan Camilo Mina Mina, a Civil Engineering student and councilor from the municipality of Guachené, who addressed the current challenges of water governance in the region. Later in the afternoon, a walk was organized through the Unicauca campus’ ecological trail, allowing participants to appreciate the biodiversity cataloged by CORPODACA.

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The day culminated with a "planting event," during which nearly 200 specimens of species such as yellow and pink guayacán, cámbulo, and cúcharo were planted.

"The event was a success, with students from all programs participating. Around 120 people attended, and the commitment shown by the participants reflects the Unicaucana community's interest in environmental protection, as well as the importance of getting involved in activities that promote university life," said Edgar Rodríguez, professor of the Civil Engineering Program at the Northern Campus.

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It’s worth mentioning that World Water Day, celebrated every March 22, seeks to highlight the importance of freshwater and promote its environmental management, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. Therefore, these activities not only contribute to this goal but also strengthen university appropriation and the bond between our academic bodies, while taking advantage of the natural potential of this campus, which features an ideal ecological trail for learning and recreation.

With these significant actions, the University of Cauca reaffirms its commitment to becoming a reference in northern Cauca for reflection and environmental awareness. We celebrate this initiative with the expectation that it will become institutionalized year after year, strengthening students' connection to their surroundings and fostering territorial appropriation—key elements in the comprehensive training of professionals who will contribute to a fairer and more sustainable society.

 

Written by: Communications Management Center