The CCR-IFCU’s commitment to environmental research

in developing countries

Miquel Gassiot Universidad Ramón Llull, Barcelona (Spain)

RESEARCH COORDINATING CENTRE

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES

(CCR-IFCU)

“homo sapiens” “homo technologicus”

1,700,000 years 0 2 x 106 years reduced to 1 year

Autonomy science

The car

Ammonia synthesis Internet

Sheep cloning Dolly

1 January appearance of “homo sapiens”

December 10.42 p.m.

1 January 31 December

11.46 p.m. 11.47 p.m.

11.59 p.m.

z Scientific and technological

development covers just 0.015% of human

history

31 December 3.18 p.m.

Start of the Christian era

Juan Miró Chavarria, Industrial Engineer

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HUMANITY

From Homo sapiens to Homo “technologicus”: society’s immaturity

in contrast to the exponential development of scientific knowledge

and technology

Obscurantism Radical Ecology

Alarm bells

“Margalef” Ecology

- Principles - Reflection - Values - Humanism - Interdisciplinarity - Managing complexity - Socioeconomic conditions

New Scientific & Technological

Progress

New media for science

Mov. of capital

Knowledge of the environment

Scientific Progress

Technological baggage

of development (1960)

Integrating aspects

Military

technologies

T

T

T

New “holism” Assimilation and interpretation of information in all

its complexity

Sustainable development

Globalisation

Difficulties of dialogue between the world of “Values” and the world of science and

technology

• Mutual ignorance. • The singularity of the scientific method. • Scientific truth versus sciences of the Truth. • Technology: wealth creation and service. • Scientific knowledge and responsibility.

Catholic Universities are an exceptional place for dialogue

The CCR-IFCU’s research projects

• Social Sciences • Human Sciences • Pedagogy • Ethics, Philosophy and Theology • Experimental sciences: environment 2006

Ø Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Ø Water management: water, environment and health (started in 2011)

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing

countries (2006-2009)

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Ø Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia. Ø Universidad Católica de Oriente, Rionegro, Colombia. Ø Universidad Católica de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. Ø Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil. Ø Universidad Ramón Llull, Barcelona, Spain.

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES

Goals: Scientific and technical goals Selecting waste that can be used as a source of organic material for use in crop soil (municipal organic waste and biosolids). Study of microbiological, physical, chemical and structural aspects. Obtaining high-quality compost through biotechnology. Field studies and studies of the yield from biotechological compost. Using this compost to grow Stevia rebaudiana. Comparative study of the different types of compost used on acidic soils and the capacity for exhausted ion exchange. Supplying technical resources and specific training for teams that need it.

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Goals: Socioeconomic goals To carry out an economic, social and family study of the farming communities collaborating on the project fieldwork. To consider the possibility of alternative crops in response to future challenges. To offer alternatives to illegal crops.

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Participants from Universidad Javeriana (Bogota, Colombia)

Researchers: Adriana Matiz (coordinator), Claudia Campos, María Mercedes Salgado, Ana K. Carrascal, Jaime Casas, María F. Gutiérrez, María Ximena. Master’s Degree Students: Ángela Amarillo, Edna Viviana Gutiérrez

Participants from Universidad Católica de Oriente (Rionegro, Colombia)

Researchers: Dragoberto Castro (coordinator), Juan Carlos Montoya Vivas, Raquel Serna, Eduardo Pinzón. Students: Luz Stella, Alejandra Zuloaga

Participants from Universidad Ramón Llull (Barcelona, Spain)

Researchers: F. Broto, G. Mejia and M. Gassiot

Participants from Universidade Católica de Pernambuco (Recife, Brazil)

Participants from Universidade Católica de Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)

Researchers: Lucio André de Oliveira Fernández and Luciana Bizca Dode (coordinators), Jander Luis Fernández Monks, Marcelo Dutra, William Peres, Tânia Maria Moraes and Eunice Mereb. Students: Carla Klumb Ferreira, Elvio Ricardo Porto, Silvela Arina Avila Julio Amarat Xavier, Renata Pinto Albert, Simaia Figueredo Ferreira

Researchers: Arminda Saconi Messias (coordinator), Alexandra Amorin Salgueiro, Aline Elesbao de Nacimiento, Carlos Alberto Alves da Silva, Cyntia Xavier de Carvalho, Eliane Cardoso de Vanceslaos, Galba Maria de Campos Takaki, Joaquim Romao Teodoro de Oliveira, José Maricio Pereira, Leonie Asfora Sarubbo, Silvio Romero Ferreira de Melo, Valdemir Alexandre dos Santos. Students: (Master’s degree students) Rafael Barboza Sá Leitao, Rosinete Cardoso Ferreira, Adilson Bezerra da Silva, Maria dos Antojos de Jesus Barros Lopes, Bruno Esteves Maestrado Távora, Celia Maria Alves Feitosa and Cintya Rodriguez Monte and degree students.

Achievements (scientific and technical) ØHigh-quality compost produced: U. Javeriana has managed to produce this compost using a thermophilic inoculated biotechnological compost. The process is carried out at 70.8ºC, which is quicker and helps reduce pathogens. ØUse of this compost: U. Javeriana and U. Católica de Oriente

Broccoli crop

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Bioagriculture Biosolids Booster Agropaisa Nitrates Control

Yie

ld (k

g/ha

)

Achievements (scientific and technical) ØUses of this compost: U. Javeriana and U. Católica de Oriente

Carrot crop

“Bioagriculture” contains compost made using the U. Javeriana technique

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Yie

ld (k

g/ha

)

Bioagriculture Nitrates Agropaisa Biosolids Booster Control

Sources of organic matter

ØUses of the inoculated compost. U. Javeriana has produced this kind of compost using municipal organic waste from Villavicencio and has used it to grow Stevia rabaudiana in Puerto Lopez with the following results: Stevia harvest with compost (30 tonnes/ha): 1538 kg/ha Stevia harvest without compost: 477 kg/ha ØOil palm crop. Results: Use of 15 to 30 tonnes/ha of inoculated compost produces the same yield as synthetic fertiliser (N-P-K-Mg) in a proportion of kg/ha. ØWe have found that this inoculated compost is free of pathogens: Salmonella sp.; less than 1000 faecal coliform bacteria/g, etc.

Achievements (scientific and technical)

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Achievements (scientific and technical)

ØStudy of sludge or biosolids. U. Católica de Pernambuco has carried out trials with proportions of 0, 25, 50 and 75 tonnes biosolids/ha of soil. The crops are: green beans, peppers and açai palm. The conclusion reached is that the best proportion is 25 to 50 tonnes/ha.

ØThe study of biosolids from a water purification plant has produced very interesting details about soils to which these biosolids are added with reference to their physiochemical, microbiological and geotechnical characteristics.

ØThe Eisenia foetida worm has been successfully used in biosolid composting.

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Achievements (university collaboration)

ØMaking the project known in the participating universities. The list of all those who have taken part in this work: lecturers, researchers, collaborators and students totals 125 people who participated, were trained and learned about the IFCU through this project.

ØIf we added the farmers and engineers involved in the fieldwork to this figure there would be far more than 125.

ØAn international and intercontinental network of scientific collaboration has been set up between the participating universities.

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Training engineers to improve soil fertility in developing countries (2006-2009)

Water management: Water, the environment and

health (project started in October 2011)

Water management

Participating universities: Ø Universidade Católica de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. Ø Universidade Católica do Parana, Curitiba, Brazil. Ø Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto

Alegre, Brazil. Ø Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia. Ø Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Cordoba, Argentina. Ø Universidad Ramón Llull de Barcelona, Spain. Project kick-off meeting: 3 and 4 October 2011 in Río de Janeiro.

Water management Goals

Ø To create a framework document to facilitate effective

collaboration between the participating universities, which is sufficiently broad to cover the specific problems and challenges each university will face.

Ø A unique contribution from each participant in the project in accordance with specific water-related problems in each university’s region. Pooling and transferring information, specialised know-how, technologies and tools between participating universities.

Ø Environmental sustainability training in water use by the corresponding university communities.

Water management

Drafting the Framework Document or State of the art (1)

Ø Chemistry and physics of water: The water cycle.

Ø Availability: surface water, seawater, coastal water and groundwater.

Ø Hydrography of the participating teams’ regions. Ø Drinking water: drinking water treatment and

regulations. Ø Sewage: regulations Ø Irrigation water: regulations.

Water management

Drafting the Framework Document or State of the art (2) Ø Groundwater Ø Seawater Ø Water and energy Ø Glossary

Water management

Coordinating researchers from each university

ØUniversidade Católica de Pernambuco. Arminda Saconi. ØUniversidade Católica do Paraná. Carlos Mello. ØUniversidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul. Betina Bloctein. ØPontificia Universidad Javeriana. Claudia Campos and Carlos Daza. ØUniversidad Católica de Córdoba. Maria Alejandra Bustamante and Adriana Welter.

ØUniversidad Ramón Llull. Miquel Gassiot

Water management Initial partial results presented

in the meeting on 5 and 6 October 2012 at Universidad Católica de Córdoba

Ø Presentation of the document: State of the art in correct

management of fresh water as a public good that must be sustainable. Presented by Dr Claudia Campos and Dr Armida Saconi with contributions from all participating universities.

Ø Presentation of a Glossary of terms.

Ø Presentation of progress reports on the specific contributions from participating universities.

Water management

Progress reports: Ø Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul: Ideal

environmental design for the location and distribution of dams in the Yacuy river basin. Presentation by Prof. Nelson Ferreira.

Ø Universidade Católica do Parana: Revitalisation of the Belem river, which the university campus is in the basin of. Presentation by Prof. Carlos Mello.

Ø Universidade Católica de Pernambuco: Socio-environmental study of the Capibaribe river basin and study of the “Moringa oleifera” species in water clarification. By Prof. Arminda Saconi

Water management

Progress reports: Ø Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota:

Assessment of the “Fenton” process through photocatalysis with titanium bioxide using activated carbon sourced from plants to eliminate organic matter from sewage. By Prof. Carlos Daza.

Ø Universidad Católica de Córdova: Decontamination of sewage dumped in San Roque lake. Pilot plant to purify sewage with ‘biodiscs’. By Prof. Alejandra Bustamante and Prof. Adriana Werter.

Water management Decisions taken: Ø To standardise chemical and biological analytical

methods. Ø To carry out all possible intercalibrations. Ø To finish the document: State of the art in correct

management of fresh water as a public good that must be sustainable. To consider publishing this interesting report internationally as an initial result of the project.

Ø Next project meeting: Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, October this year.

Water management

Catholic Universities are an exceptional place for dialogue

Ø Commitment to collaboration and service at all levels (booklets). Ø Serving communities takes priority over the researchers’ CVs. Ø The nature and quality of the results obtained with reference to the financial resources invested. Ø Keywords: Excellence and generosity

The CCR-IFCU’s commitment to environmental research

in developing countries