The SDG^nexus Network is a global community of universities, research centers, and stakeholders committed to promoting the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. The SDG^nexus Network is a part of the DAAD “Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation – exceed” program and, as such, it aims to strengthen higher education for enabling effective and innovative contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

The SDG^nexus Network has three main objectives:

• Establish common research framework through joint research projects between our network partners.
• Qualify the next generation of scientists as agents of change.
• Promote exchange and collaboration between our network of higher education institutions and extramural actors.

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The University of Cuenca - Ecuador, in cooperation with the SDG^nexus Network, has developed the “Programa Piloto de Mentoría para Mujeres Científicas” or Pilot Mentoring Program for Women Scientists (PROMEMCI). This is a pioneer initiative in the country. The program’s primary objective is to encourage young female scientists to immerse themselves in the academic environment and build a broad network of academics interested in guiding master's and doctoral students and young professors in advancing their academic careers. The program was executed by the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Sciences (iDRHiCA) and the Ecuadorian Network of Women Scientists (REMCI).

PROMEMCI took place over four months, from October 2022 to January 2023. The program paired 17 mentees, including early career researchers, master’s students, and doctoral candidates, with 17 mentors according to their academic interests and needs. In addition to one-to-one mentoring sessions, the program consisted of an introductory workshop, two capacity-building workshops focusing on communication skills, personal awareness, and empowerment, a follow-up session for mentees, and a closing event.

According to the mentees, the program’s main achievements included opportunities for postgraduate students and young professionals to interact with a mentor from another faculty or research area. Specifically, mentors provided impartial guidance to help mentees achieve their academic and personal goals and support and advice to address academic challenges. Participants also indicated that they received extensive feedback, not only on academic issues but also on a personal level, enabling them to broaden their vision of the various opportunities for academic development and boost their confidence as young female scientists. All mentees indicated they would recommend their peers or co-workers to participate in the program.

The second phase of the program is set to launch in Spring 2023. For more information about the program and the call for applications, please visit: https://www.ucuenca.edu.ec/investigacion/mentoria-mujeres-cientificas or contact: mentoria.ciencia@ucuenca.edu.ec

Closing event, University authorities and PROMEMCI participants. Cuenca 2023

The SDGnexus Network made a significant contribution to the EGU General Assembly 2023, which was held in Vienna from April 23-28, 2023, with its members organizing and chairing sessions, as well as delivering oral and poster presentations in various sessions related to hydrological, atmospheric sciences, and inter- and transdisciplinary areas. EGU23 brought together geoscientists worldwide to cover all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU provided a forum for scientists to present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience, especially early career researchers. The event welcomed over 18,000 registered attendees, with more than 15,000 individuals traveling to Vienna from 107 countries, while over 3000 participants joined online from 105 countries.

The SDGnexus Network delegation at EGU was represented by Dr. Jorge Gómez-Paredes (visiting Professor at JLU), Dr. Alicia Correa and Dr. Aliya Assubayeva (Research Associates at JLU), Kalina Fonseca (Ph.D. student at JLU), Gabriela Urgiles, and Adrian Sucozhanay (Ph.D. students at the University of Cuenca, Ecuador). Brief information about their contribution at the conference is summarized below.

Dr. Alicia Correa co-chaired the Advances in Forest Hydrology session on Monday, 24th April. The session brought together field experimentalists and modelers studying the impact of global change on hydrological processes in forest systems. Contributions from researchers worldwide, including Germany, the UK, the USA, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, the Amazon, and the Congo catchment, highlighted innovative methods, observational techniques, and interdisciplinary research. The focus was on assessing the hydrological effects of land use/land cover change and environmental disturbances on forest systems, emphasizing the importance of considering the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum in hydrological studies. 

Dr. Aliya Assubayeva presented the poster on the politics of water governance in Central Asia in the Water Resources Policy and Management - System Solutions for Uncertain Futures session on Tuesday, April 25th. The study emphasized the interwoven interests and activities of national and international actors in the region and how the institutionalization of river basin management plays out differently in each country, depending on the capacities and commitment of national actors. 

On Wednesday, April 26th, Dr. Jorge Gómez-Paredes and Dr. Alicia Correa chaired a session on the Circular Economy titled "Challenges of Circularity: Considering the Energy and Material Demands/Benefits of a Circular Economy Across Global Supply Chains." The session comprised nine presentations that discussed global perspectives on implementing a circular economy and examples of circularity in terms of construction materials, rare earth, e-waste, and organic waste.

Kalina Fonseca presented the study in the session "Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Water Resources and Water-related Ecosystem Services: From Assessments to Solutions" on April 27th. The study revealed that passive restoration is a cost-effective long-term nature-based solution to conserve basins that have lost vegetation cover and biodiversity due to overgrazing or habitat fragmentation. PESTEL (Political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) analysis suggested that such solutions can be incorporated if managed locally in combination with an independent organization as a water fund. In contrast, regional or provincial-level solutions were not considered smart options due to legal conflicts in Ecuador.

On Thursday, 27 April, Dr. Alicia Correa presented a collaborative study by the SDGnexus Network on the "WEF Nexus and ecosystem service valuation in an Andes-Pacific catchment." This study explores the impact of climate change and human activities on ecosystem services related to water, energy, and food in current and future scenarios. Using a spatio-temporal analysis and a hyper-network approach, the study aims to enhance ecosystem resilience, with water provision being of utmost importance. The findings have significant implications for natural resource management, particularly in the WEF context, facilitating informed decision-making for future disturbances.

Gabriela Urgiles presented a poster in the session "Precipitation: Measurement, Climatology, Remote Sensing, and Modeling" during the conference. The study highlighted three major types of extreme rainfall events, with the first type demonstrating the highest intensity and the shortest duration. The other two extreme events showed predominant months and hours of occurrence. Additionally, the study revealed that the spatial nucleus of maximum intensity for the first type of extreme event was located at higher elevations.

On the conference's final day, Adrian Sucozhañay presented in the session "Hydrological extremes: from droughts to floods". The presentation focused on characterizing streamflow droughts in an inter-Andean catchment, utilizing four near-natural headwater catchments distributed in a nested approach.

The diverse range of studies presented by the SDGnexus network's delegation, including those on forest hydrology, water governance, circular economy, impacts of land use and land cover changes on water resources and ecosystem services, and the water-energy-food nexus, demonstrate the network's commitment to addressing complex sustainability challenges. These studies provide valuable insights into the interactions between natural and human systems with case studies in Central Asia and Latin America, highlighting the importance of considering both in developing sustainable solutions.