Category: Communication

June 25, 2019

The National Water Directorate (Dinagua), along with other agencies, is preparing a situation room for hydrological alerts that will improve flood prevention, according to the head of the agency, Daniel Greif. Telemetry stations will be installed in Treinta y Tres and Río Branco; and cities located along the Santa Lucía River basin will also have early warning systems.

To anticipate flooding and minimize damage in areas built without preventative measures, early flood warning systems were developed in the most vulnerable cities. “The goal is for the National Emergency System to be able to ensure an orderly and dry evacuation response,” Greif explained to the Secretariat of Institutional Communication.

Through an agreement with the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII), the Faculty of Engineering and the National Emergency System (Sinae), Dinagua operates the early warning system in Durazno and, soon, other systems will be operational in Artigas and Quaraí.

Currently, work is underway to install a situation room for hydrological alerts, with support from the Brazilian National Water Agency, in coordination with the National Institute of Meteorology and the National Emergency System (SINAE). This room will systematize and unify the various alert systems, allowing for a comprehensive and proactive view with continuous centralized attention and coordinated action with all departmental agencies within the system.

During 2017, the development of new early warning systems is planned for cities near the Santa Lucía River basin, utilizing existing telemetry stations and studies. Additional cities will be added based on their vulnerability and capacity to respond. This initiative is in addition to the installation of telemetry stations in Treinta y Tres and Rio Branco, which has already begun.

The incorporation of new technologies, such as weather radars and satellite and hydrological information, is carried out jointly with all the institutions involved through a project supported by the World Bank.

Furthermore, Greif highlighted the incorporation of “risk maps” into land-use plans. These maps include data on flood curves, regulations, and actions for each area. To create these maps, topographic surveys are conducted, water flow patterns and other issues are identified in collaboration with local stakeholders, and historical statistics and hydrological models of waterways are used to perform simulations.

Risk maps have now been incorporated into the plans for the most vulnerable cities: Artigas, Bella Unión, Durazno, Treinta y Tres, San José, Ciudad del Plata, and Paysandú, and are being developed for Salto, Rivera, and Juan Lacaze, among other cities. This data is relevant for the location of the public housing system.

“With the risk systems and maps, the departmental Emergency Coordination Centers have an informative record about the population for each alert level,” Greif stated.

Large dams, such as those at Salto Paysandú, Paso de los Toros, and Mercedes, have water regulators. These infrastructures can provide information for coordinating evacuations, an operation carried out through emergency action plans that include the early evacuation of the population.

Early warning systems have been in use since 2002. These tools initially operated using rainfall records, but now utilize more sophisticated runoff models that incorporate real-time water level readings from telemetry stations and precipitation forecasts. This allows for a more accurate assessment and faster response times.

According to Director Greif, gathering information is crucial when extreme events occur, both to assess and compare expected water levels based on simulations, and to identify the affected population, as well as to correct and calibrate the mathematical models used.

In an emergency, each organization fulfills different roles. Some are on the front lines providing direct support to flood victims, while others are responsible for collecting data and evaluating situations so that the experience of the event can be used as a tool for continuous improvement.

Fountain: https://www.presidencia.gub.uy/comunicacion/comunicacionnoticias/dinagua-daniel-greif-presupuesto-inundaciones-

February 20, 2023

From February 6th to 11th, the long-awaited visit of Dr. Michael Wingfield finally took place. This visit was part of a completed ANII project that the SPF had submitted in 2019 in conjunction with the Faculty of Agronomy. The project’s objective was to study the sudden death of Eucalyptus smithii.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Wingfield’s visit could not take place. However, at the end of 2022, the SPF applied for a new funding mechanism offered by ANII to partially finance the visit and consultancy. Dr. Wingfield is the founding director and advisor of the Agricultural and Forestry Biotechnology Institute (FABI) in Pretoria, South Africa. His research focuses on forest health in plantations and natural forest ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on diseases caused by insect-borne pathogens. He served as president of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) for five years and has been widely recognized for his research and academic leadership, not only in South Africa—his native country—but also internationally.

The main issues for which SPF required the South African expert’s consultation were:

The problem of sudden death in E. smithii in the early stages of rotation

The complex of beetles that attack the trunks of pines and eucalyptus trees

Dr. Wingfield’s visit was used to familiarize him with the institutional framework of forest health in Uruguay, giving him a perspective on the participation of public, private and academic actors who interact in alliances and agreements (Cecope, Forest Consortium, CAR) in pursuit of the health of Uruguay’s commercial forests.

The consultancy combined classroom sessions with field trips. The tour began in Montevideo, traveling southeast (Lavalleja and Florida) and then north to the department of Tacuarembó, before returning to Montevideo. Participants included technicians and directors from forestry companies, as well as researchers from various institutions.

INIA and UdelaR, as well as technicians from MGAP and LATU.

It was an intense week, with oppressive heat, but absolutely enjoyable and productive. Without a doubt, the SPF will find in this consultancy a wealth of answers and action plans to follow to improve the performance of the plantations at a general level, but also specifically regarding the sudden death of E. smithii and the bark beetle and ambrosia beetle complex.

May 31, 2023

We are sharing information about the call made by the National Academy of Engineering:

The National Academy of Engineering is calling for submissions of works interested in participating in the Rosario Pou Award for Innovation in the forestry chain, corresponding to the year 2023.

This award, established in 2022, has the main objective of promoting innovation throughout the forestry production chain, and to this end, to recognize the merit of a work with a special distinction.

Award considerations

1.1. The works will be original, presented by Uruguayan citizens; they must indicate in which sector they are located, within the forestry chain defined above.

1.2. Registration of works can be done in person or by email addressed to acadinguy@gmail.com, indicating in the subject of the email: “Rosario Pou Award for innovation in the forestry chain of Uruguay”.

1.3. The submission format will be a PDF document, maximum 50 pages in A4 format, which will be sent to the email address indicated above. It may be submitted along with an audiovisual presentation (video) that explains the motivation behind the idea, the challenges overcome, and the magnitude of the impact achieved. The maximum duration of the video will be 5 (five) minutes. The video does not need to be of commercial quality. It is recommended to use a landscape format and produce the video in 720p resolution or higher.

1.4. Individuals, groups of individuals or institutions that can demonstrate experience in any activity of the forestry chain may apply.

1.5. The submission of works must be accompanied by a curriculum vitae of the participant(s), which includes their activity in the area, as well as their personal data: email address and mobile phone number.

1.6. The ANIU Board of Directors will select the works that, in its judgment, comply with the stipulations of these guidelines. If accepted, applicants will be notified; otherwise, they will be informed of the reasons for rejection.

1.7. The Board of Directors will appoint an Evaluation Committee, which will be made up of Academics with experience in the subject, and professionals external to the ANIU.

1.8. The prize will consist of a symbolic item and a cash award of USD 5,000 (five thousand US dollars). The jury may also award honorable mentions, which will not include any monetary compensation; it may also declare the prize void.

1.9. The award ceremony will take place in a formal event, with the presence of those involved and an invitation to national authorities.

Deadlines

The submission period begins with this publication, June 15th, and will end on August 28th. The jury will announce its decision before December 15th, and the prize will be awarded in March 2024.

An attached document clarifies the concepts of INNOVATION as well as what is considered to be a “forestry chain”.

For inquiries and to submit documentation, please contact acadinguy@gmail.com