Authorities toured multiple CAF-funded projects in Ushuaia

The Executive President of CAF—development bank of Latin America—, Sergio Díaz-Granados, and Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, Christian Asinelli, visited the city of Ushuaia and toured multiple CAF-funded projects, together with the Governor of Tierra del Fuego, Gustavo Melella, and local mayor Walter Vuoto.

Also participating in the tours were CAF’s Representative in Argentina Patricia Alborta, the organization’s Manager of Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies Ángel Cárdenas, and Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity.

First, agency officials analyzed with Vuoto the progress status of the remodeling of the Paseo Familias Pioneras boardwalk, on the city’s waterfront. The project aims to improve, recover and revitalize a large part of the center of Ushuaia, as well as organize general mobility, optimize traffic conditions, safety and accessibility and enhance the service infrastructure by updating networks (rainwater, sewers, water, power lines, telephony and fiber optics, and public lighting). In addition, the project seeks to create a greater amount of open spaces with equipment to widen the corners, renew the sidewalks, place new trash cans, benches, lampposts and wall coverings, and standardize designs and finishing materials typical of these sectors.

The Bank authorities then toured the expansion work of the National University of Tierra del Fuego with rector Daniel Fernández. The initiative includes guidelines for bioclimatic design and rational use of energy resources, to harmoniously link the new buildings with nature, respecting the particular geographical, environmental and productive features of their environment. The projects calls for the construction of classrooms, common and research centers that will add approximately 2812 indoor m2 to the existing infrastructure.

“Together with Argentina, we have been working for several years on a program to expand university infrastructure throughout the nation. The fourth phase of the initiative involved a USD 75 million investment, which includes the expansion of the National University of Tierra del Fuego. For us it is a great honor to be here and witness the progress of the work, which will soon benefit the educational community and the entire city,” said Díaz-Granados.

CAF authorities then held a meeting with Tierra del Fuego governor Gustavo Melella, who presented the energy transition project for the province. The plan consists of expansion, furnishing and modernization of the Thermal Power Plants in the cities of Ushuaia and Río Grande, which will offer greater reliability, sustainability and security to local power generation. In addition, the works will benefit a total of 165,000 people. The initiative will boost provincial and national economic development and productivity by increasing power installed capacity and generation, and reducing the costs of supply, fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Lastly, Díaz-Granados and Asinelli were present at the inauguration of the Scholas Fin del Mundo Headquarters, together with Scholas Occurrentes Global Director José María del Corral. The event was also attended by Argentine representatives of the Laudato Sí School and young Ushuaia residents, who after the opening remarks of the authorities presented their concerns and presented a summary of the work completed during the week through artistic presentations. The goal is to raise awareness about the need to become more active in environmental protection and to promote greater youth involvement in the sustainable development agenda.

CAF and the Scholas Foundation have been working together since 2015 to promote the integration of young people and children through sports, art and technology, and aim to continue joining forces to face common challenges such as climate change, biodiversity protection and community empowerment.