Blue University Exchange Summary

Presentation: The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), Brazil, as Blue University. 

• PUCPR became a Blue University in 2023, receiving certification in Popayán, Bolivia.
• The university serves ~25,000 students and faces local water challenges, including water shortages in Curitiba affecting 30 neighborhoods.
• Brazil holds 12% of global freshwater, but many citizens still lack access to clean water.
• PUCPR created a Water Committee, Water Clubs, and works through a Sustainability Sector to integrate water governance into research, education, and community outreach .

Academic and Research Projects (Marta Fischer)

• Focus on bioethics and water justice, using Curitiba’s Belém River as a living laboratory.
• Activities connect students to water management challenges via ethics and human rights education.
• Project outcomes are documented on a blog including academic reflections and multimedia from fieldwork.
• Innovative teaching included art-based communication projects and participation in COP30 (Manaus, 2025) via a virtual Metaverse space.
• PUCPR also produced a book titled “Blue University: La Universidad y la Justicia del Agua”, featuring contributions from international partners .

Institutional Environmental Projects (Gustavo Liz & Elaine Kurscheidt)

• Five key projects integrated water management and infrastructure:

  • Rainwater harvesting systems at the university’s experimental farm (“Gralazu Farm”) – storage up to ~5,000 m³.
  • Vegetable garden irrigation using captured rainwater.
  • Tree planting (≈940 trees) along the Belém River for infiltration and urban resilience.
  • Composting program — 22 tons in 2025, target of 30 tons by 2026.
  • Plastic reduction campaign — eliminated >300,000 plastic bags from operations.
• Emphasis on integrating education, infrastructure, and environmental stewardship into all new campus developments .

Book Presentation – Maude Barlow

• Maude presented her new English-language book “Earth for Sale: The Fight to Stop the Last Plunder of the Planet.”
• The book critiques the financialization of nature, including water commodification and the rise of carbon, biodiversity, and water credits.
• She stressed the need for democratic control over natural resources, opposing privatization and market-based governance of ecosystems .

🗓️ Follow‑Up and Future Plans

• Upcoming Blue University Exchange: planned for Monday, 2 November 2026
• Jessica MacArthur from the Swiss Blue Community / Blue University Eawag – Aquatic Research Institute, will present the institution and its global research and partnerships .
• Upcoming Event: PUCPR will organize a seminar on ecology and water (1 Sept – 4 Oct 2026) within the “Time of Creation” thematic period .

💡 Overall Takeaway