The 32nd Alto Uruguai Environmental Week (SAUMA) officially opened on Tuesday evening, the 3rd of June, at the auditorium of Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões (URI), jointly promoted with the 5th Municipal Environmental Seminar.

The opening conference was delivered by Rafael Damasceno, who is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Ireland. The speaker, who has experience in disaster risk reduction and in developing local indicators of climate change impacts, emphasized urban strategies for climate adaptation and resilience.

SAUMA is a well-established event in the Alto Uruguai region and has been held periodically since 1995. It brings together the academic community and various sectors of regional society to discuss relevant environmental issues and related fields. The event serves as an important forum for students, educators, researchers, and public administrators to exchange experiences and to guide actions related to environmental education, management, and conservation.

Both initiatives aim to address climate resilience in cities and rural communities. Combating climate change corresponds to the 13th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 13) of the 2030 Agenda, which calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

The program will continue on Thursday, the 6th, at 8:30 a.m., also at the URI Auditorium, with roundtable discussions on climate-resilient agriculture and strategies for sustainable production systems, featuring Alencar Paulo Rugere (EMATER Porto Alegre), as well as a session on opportunities and challenges related to payment for environmental services and climate change, featuring Tanise Sausen (FURG), Vanderlei Decian (URI), Ariane Pasuch (Municipal Government of Erechim), and Tanise Etges (Municipal Government of Vera Cruz/RS), moderated by Vanderlei Secretti Decian.

The program will conclude in the afternoon at the same venue with a lecture on adaptive capacity and the resilience of agricultural production systems in climate change scenarios, featuring Thomaz Tomazoni (FAU and AKVO ESG), Márcia Perin (Be8 – Renewable Energy), Gian Carlos Zacchi (Aurora Sustainable Rural Property Program), and a representative of the ABC+ Program of EMATER Ascar/RS, moderated by Professor Jean Butke.

SAUMA and the Municipal Environmental Seminar are organized by URI Erechim, COMPAM, and ASCAR/EMATER, with sponsorship from the Municipal Government of Erechim. The event is also supported by CORSAN, the 2nd Environmental Police Battalion, OAB, UFFS, the Brazilian Institute of Architects (IAB) – José Albano Volkmer Center, UERGS, SINDUSCON, CAPA, CREA, SUTRAF, the Rural Workers’ Union, UNIMED, Futura Agrícola, and Sementes Estrela.