The Universidad Industrial de Santander joins the First International Water Summit as a strategic actor in the construction of solutions for the sustainable management of water resources. This important event, organized by the Government of Santander through the Secretariat of Environment, will be held on July 10 and 11, 2025 at the Neomundo Convention and Events Center in Bucaramanga.
The participation of the UIS, through its Malaga Campus and the Forestry Engineering program, is part of its strong institutional commitment to sustainable development, social welfare and conservation of natural heritage. The University will be present at the Summit through an ecostand in which applied research projects, developed in northeastern Colombia, which address the complex relationship between anthropogenic activity, soil quality, ecological restoration and protection of water sources, will be exhibited.
University research, like water, flows, transforms and sustains territories. Under this premise, the UIS will present initiatives that promote the responsible use of water resources and biodiversity, from scientific, educational and community approaches. Some of the projects that will be highlighted in the exhibition are:
Reconversion of the extensive sheep ranching system to a semi-stabling system as an alternative to mitigate the conflict between rural communities and the Andean condor.
– Long-term vegetation monitoring through the establishment of permanent plots in natural forests.
– Productive and environmental reconversion in the Ortices Lagoon, as a social experience for biodiversity conservation.
– Evaluation of interactions between Stigmacoccus asper, fumaginas and oak groves to improve the use of oak honeydew and the health of the ecosystem.
– Environmental education for the protection of wildlife in educational institutions in the municipality of Málaga.
– Studies on nutrient loss due to erosion in transformed high Andean landscapes, linked to rainfall dynamics.
– Production of natural handicrafts from non-timber forest products, promoting sustainable alternatives for the local economy.
– Raising awareness of the natural heritage through urban art, fostering the emotional and cultural link with the environment.
The presence of the UIS in this summit reinforces the role of academia as a generator of knowledge with territorial, social and environmental impact. The University invites all attendees to learn about its experiences and proposals in the institutional ecostand, where it will be shown how science and education are key allies in the protection of the vital resource that unites us: water.
