The integration of studies from different lines of research on water was the theme of the first Sanasa/Agropolo Campinas-Brazil Workshop, held on Monday (12), in the auditorium of the General Directorate of Administration at Unicamp. With the theme "Interdisciplinary Research in Water", the event brought together representatives of public bodies in the Campinas region to discuss the challenges surrounding water research, and the possibility of working together with researchers and institutions.
Organized by Agropolo Campinas-Brasil and supported by the Dean of Research (PRP), the workshop is part of the initiative to create an interdisciplinary water research center. The center's project is a partnership between the Water Supply and Sanitation Society (Sanasa), a public sanitation and supply company in Campinas, Unicamp and other institutions that make up the Agropolo, such as the Agronomic Institute (IAC) and the City Hall of Campinas.
"The proposal is for the center to deal with issues related to water security, water quality and sewage treatment, as well as aspects related to public policies and regulation", explains professor Luis Augusto Barbosa Cortez, from the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering (Feagri) and project coordinator of the water research center.
The workshop had a presentation by the scientific director of Fapesp and former dean of Unicamp, Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, on the agency's funding possibilities for research involving partnerships between companies and universities. Brito Cruz presented the initiatives of the Fapesp program to support advanced research centers, explaining the rules for requesting resources and the obligations of participants involved in the projects.
The second panel of the event was presented by statistician Vicente Andreu Guillo, former director president of the National Water Agency (ANA), with the theme being the need for interdisciplinary research in water. A career employee of Companhia Paulista de Força e Luz (CPFL), Vicente Guillo also presided over the Nova Piratininga Thermoelectric Plant in São Paulo and Sanasa, in addition to being secretary of the environment in Campinas. Vicente Guillo presented a general overview of water and sanitation research in Brazil at universities, research centers and industries, based on his experience as director of a federal regulatory agency.
The project to create a water research center based at Unicamp is in the final planning phase. The proposal must initially bring together 25 researchers from units such as the Institute of Chemistry (IG), Biology (IB), engineering and others, as well as members of external entities linked to Agropolo Campinas-Brazil. The water research center will take advantage of and integrate the existing structure. The team responsible for creating the project should finish its work by the end of April, with work expected to begin in the second half of 2018.
