On June 22, ASEZ held an environmental seminar at the University of Guayaquil in Guayaquil, Guayas Province, Ecuador, as part of its Blue Carbon Initiative campaign. The seminar was organized to introduce ASEZ’s various international social contribution activities, raise awareness of the value of blue carbon ecosystems and the importance of conserving them, and provide members of the university community with an opportunity to participate in efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Guayaquil is located at the estuary where the Guayas River meets the Pacific Ocean. The city has an extensive network of brackish waterways known as the Estero Salado. The area provides a suitable natural environment for mangrove forests, and the Estero Salado plays an important role in maintaining the local ecosystem and water quality.
During the seminar, ASEZ introduced its environmental protection, crime prevention, social contribution, and disaster relief activities carried out around the world, along with the value of blue carbon ecosystems and the need to protect them. Participants discussed the important role university students can play in global efforts to address climate change and protect marine ecosystems, and strengthened their commitment to participating in the campaign.
Approximately 150 people attended the event, including around 100 students from four faculties—the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the Faculty of Chemical Sciences, the Faculty of Physical Education, and the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences—as well as university officials. Juan Fernandez, Dean of External Relations and Student Welfare; Leidy Lopez, Head of the Software Department; and Patricio Barberán, Head of the External Relations Team, also attended the event. They expressed their support for ASEZ’s activities and signed in support of the Blue Carbon Initiative.
Leidy Lopez, who showed particular interest in the seminar, asked questions about ASEZ’s purpose of establishment, its major activities, and projects being carried out at universities. “I was deeply impressed by ASEZ’s efforts to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” she said. She also expressed her desire to participate directly in related activities in the future and added her signature in support of the initiative.
After learning about the importance of conserving blue carbon ecosystems through the seminar, students and faculty members turned awareness into action by participating in a cleanup of the Estero Salado waterway on the University of Guayaquil campus on June 24. Faculty members further contributed to the meaningful activity by preparing gloves and protective equipment to ensure that students could volunteer safely.
The participating students agreed on the important role university students can play in protecting blue carbon ecosystems and expressed their hopes for continued environmental activities. They also said they hoped ASEZ members would continue carrying out various volunteer activities for the local community.
Gabriela Chang, an ASEZ member, said, “As a university student, I believe change begins not tomorrow, but with the small actions we take today. I hope this seminar encourages more students to regard environmental issues as their own responsibility and take action together. I am grateful to the dean, professors, and students for showing such deep interest in ASEZ’s activities and participating so actively.”
The seminar and the Estero Salado waterway cleanup provided a meaningful opportunity for ASEZ and the students and faculty of the University of Guayaquil to establish a foundation for cooperation in protecting mangrove forests and the local ecosystem. The activities were featured on the University of Guayaquil’s official social media channels and by the Ecuadorian television network TC, helping raise awareness throughout the local community of the significance of ASEZ’s blue carbon ecosystem conservation initiative.
The cooperation between ASEZ and the University of Guayaquil is expected not only to contribute to environmental improvement in the Guayaquil area but also to further expand youth-led environmental action aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
