Laíssa Mirella Mendes Mariano de Lara is a biology student at the Brazilian Blue University PUCPR, the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná. She is interviewing tourists and residents about the availability of drinking water in public spaces, with the aim of reducing the use of bottled water. Here is her report:
My name is Laíssa Mirella Mendes Mariano de Lara, and I live in Curitiba, the capital of the state of Paraná, in southern Brazil. Curitiba was named the world’s smartest city in 2024 at the Smart City Expo in Barcelona. I am a student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, currently in the 5th semester of my Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. I am also taking part in a scientific research project called Social Engagement in the Right to Access to Drinking Water, supervised by Professor Marta Luciane Fischer, leader of the Environmental Bioethics Research Group in the Postgraduate Program in Bioethics.
The project was born from the question: How do Curitiba’s citizens access free drinking water in public and private collective spaces? Based on this, we developed a study aimed at understanding people’s perceptions and attitudes regarding access to drinking water in these spaces. This was done through interviews using specially designed questionnaires.
Being actively involved in this project has given me new perspectives and insights that I had never considered before. Listening to what the population has to say about such a fundamental and essential resource—water—has provided me with a wealth of experiences, stories, opinions, and even grassroots initiatives. It has shown me that, even though policies and regulations follow a certain path, people also engage with the cause and demonstrate that we are still capable of coming together for something greater—something essential to everyone’s life.
Regardless of our differences and backgrounds, we all have one thing in common: the need for clean, safe drinking water. Change depends on people, and it starts with the simplest members of society—the people.
