OVIEDO, 1 (PRESS EUROPE)
The government of the Principality of Asturias has launched, together with the University of Oviedo, the chair on climate change, with which it intends to broaden knowledge of the projections of the main climate variables and associated risks.
The Rector, Ignacio Villaverde, and the Vice President of the Government and Minister of the Regional Government, Environment and Climate Change, Juan Cofio, presented the Presidency in a press conference, accompanied by the Co-Director of the Presidency, José Luis Rodríguez Gallego , and the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Nieves Roque. The presidency will be co-led by José Manuel Rico, professor of ecology, and José Luis Rodríguez Gallego, professor of prospecting and mining research.
The co-director of the Presidency explained that it has three functions. The first is to promote applied research at the University in everything related to the fight against climate change; the second is university training; and the third, the diffusion of all the science that is being done at the University on the basis of two axes: the mitigation and reduction of emissions and the adaptation to change.
In this regard, he stressed that the main challenges facing Asturias are the proliferation of forest fires and their effects on the soil. Added to this is the impact of warming in coastal areas, which in the medium term could affect fishing and agricultural activities. The function of the Chair will be to “distribute the game” among all the researchers who are working on everything related to climate change.
The rector explained that this new chair responds to the “discreet but firm” objective of the academic institution with Agenda 2030 and its 17 sustainable development goals. Villaverde explained that the University has been collaborating for “years” with research groups to disseminate, set an example and show the University’s commitment to this agenda. “It will depend on this to continue to be a habitable planet,” he assured.
For his part, Juan Cofio explained that the Principality contributes 100,000 euros to the presidency. The objective of the Executive is to “lay the scientific foundations” for climate change, so that this problem can be tackled by analyzing it from a scientific perspective.
The objectives of the collaboration also include the training of students and staff in the service of Asturian public administrations and the promotion of public-private cooperation to improve the region’s “adaptation and resilience” capacity.
