The event was announced during a side event at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photos: Rodrigo Sodré/Istreamingstudio.
The Global Network of Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions, a product of the partnership between Itaipu Binacional and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), launched the First Global Water and Energy Symposium at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The event will take place at Itaipu in June. The announcement was during the side event “Towards the First Global Symposium on Water and Energy: International Cooperation for Sustainable Development”, held on Tuesday (29), a hybrid event, with internet transmission and in-person panelists in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
UNDESA’s international consultant on sustainable development, Ivan Vera, presented the broad outlines of the event, which should feature plenary sessions and side events showing integrated approaches between Sustainable Development Goals 6 (water) and 7 (energy), and their interrelationships with the other SDGs, especially the fight against poverty, promotion of health and education, inclusion, food security, and economic growth. The details for registration are still to be informed by the partner institutions.
“The event will be an opportunity for us to share Itaipu’s good practices, highlighting the environmental management of the territory, which is carried out binationally and is an example of cooperation for the world,” said Itaipu’s Director of Coordination, Luiz Felipe Carbonell.
This management system was presented by representatives of the environmental areas of each Itaipu margin during the technical segment of the event. The head of Environmental Management of the left margin (Brazil), Ariel Scheffer da Silva, and the manager of the Environmental Action Division of the right margin (Paraguay), Jimmy Melgarejo, addressed several initiatives, especially the Biosphere Reserve, a title awarded by Unesco to more than 100 thousand hectares of protected areas around the reservoir on both banks.
The event was also attended by the Director of Projects at the Center for Knowledge and Finance Policies (KPFC) of the International Renewable Energy Association (Irena), Divyam Nagpal; the head of Research and Policy of the International Association of Hydroelectricity (IHA), Alex Campbell, and the head of the Energy Section of the UN Social and Economic Commission for Western Asia, Radia Sedaoui. Mediation was carried out by the Commercial Intelligence and Business analyst of Apex-Brasil, Carla Carvalho, and conclusions were presented by the manager of the Reservoir Division of the right bank of Itaipu, Carolina Gossen.
Technological Parks
Another side event of Expo 2020 Dubai held this week jointly by Itaipu and Itaipu Technological Park, on Monday (28), addressed the “Contribution of Technological Parks in Fostering Sustainable Development”. The event was opened by Itaipu’s managing director, Admiral Paulo Roberto da Silva Xavier, who summarized Itaipu Binacional’s contributions to the theme.
The debate, moderated by the Business Director of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber, Daniella Leite, was attended by the Environment superintendent of PTI, Rafael Deitos; the executive director of Sapiens Park, Daniella Abreu; the executive director of the Viçosa Regional Development Technology Center, Adriana Ferreira de Faria, and Ariel Scheffer, Itaipu’s head of Environmental Management.
