New steps for the reduction of the carbon and water footprints in Guayaquil
In 2014, Guayaquil, one of the cities with the highest carbon footprint in the region, joined the regional initiative "Programa Huella de Ciudades" (Footprint of Cities Program) created by CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, which seeks to measure the carbon and water footprints of the main Latin American cities, as a first step prior to the implementation of specific actions to reduce them
The results of the Program were presented on May 19th of this year. The most relevant data showed that the sector with the greatest contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is the transportation sector, with 39 percent, and that residual waters, which are generated in 72 percent of the residential sector, do not comply with the treatment demands of the current regulations and reach the rivers, negatively impacting with an increase in Guayaquil's water footprint.
Precisely for this reason, within the framework of the event and as one of the most important actions, Bernardo Requena, CAF's Director Representative in Ecuador, signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement with Empresa de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de Guayaquil (EMAPAG) (Potable Water and Sewage Company of Guayaquil) for the conservation of the Daule river basin, which is 245 km. in length and constitutes an important source of water supply for the city, which has a population of over 4 million people, approximately 28 percent of Ecuador's population, and for several neighboring municipalities.
This agreement will enable the identification of the most important conservation areas, establish monitoring systems, and develop a portfolio of projects to improve the quality of water and reduce the water footprint of Guayaquil. In addition, it is compatible with CAF's Institutional Environmental Strategy, and the Biodiversity Strategic Program implemented by the Green Business Unit at the Direction of the Environment and Climate Change.
During his speech, Bernardo highlighted the catalytic role of these types of contributions, so that other agencies and international organizations may join the municipal initiatives to reduce footprints, conservation, and adaptation to climate change. He also noted that since 2015, CAF is an implementation agency for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), and the Adaptation Fund, which will help attract resources to the country, thus strengthening CAF's catalytic role.
During the event it was also noted that cities emit more than 70 percent of greenhouse gasses (GHG) at a global level, and that Latin America is the region with the highest rate of urban growth in the planet, so it is estimated that by 2050, 9 out of 10 inhabitants will live in cities.
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