Paraguay recently hosted the “Scientific Diplomacy Workshop for Drought Management in the Agricultural, Energy and River Transportation Sectors,” aiming to bolster international cooperation and find joint solutions to climate challenges. The event was organized by the Center for Scientific Diplomacy (SDC) of the Inter-American Institute for the Research of Global Change (IAI), in collaboration with the World Meteorological Institution (OMM), the Exact and Natural Sciences Faculty of the National University of Asunción (FACEN-UNA), and the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

From May 26 to 27, national and international experts, government officials, industry representatives, and academics participated in technical sessions, panels, and case studies. The focus was on leveraging scientific diplomacy as a key tool to combat the increasing threat of droughts across Latin America.

Dr. Sc. benjamín Barán, Minister-President of Conacyt, emphasized the importance of scientific diplomacy for countries like Paraguay. He noted that the workshop provided a valuable chance for collaboration in developing effective drought management strategies.

“During these two intense days there has been a rich exchange of knowledge and experiences.”

“During these two intense days there has been a rich exchange of knowledge and experiences,” said Dr. barán. “This workshop has not only sought to train actors in the concepts and practices of scientific diplomacy, but, fundamentally, it has created a space of collaboration to address a pressing challenge for Paraguay and all Latin America: drought management and their impacts on critical sectors.”

Marcella Ohira, director of the IAI scientific diplomacy center, discussed the workshop’s approach, highlighting scientific diplomacy as a means to integrate key priorities into government agendas.