Engineer Antonio Federico, Chairman of the Chapter: “Megacities and their Infrastructure (MI)” of the World Congress and Exhibition: ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA: Technology, Innovation and Production for Sustainable Development”, is a Civil and Hydraulic Engineer, graduated from the National University of Cordoba (Argentina). He was General Director of Hydraulics of the Province of Santa Fe and President of the Provincial Water Services and founder of the College of Water Sciences, of the National University of the Litoral in Santa Fe. In the private sector, he has worked as executive manager of the boards of oil corporations, industrial and civil facilities, most of which working in temporary consortiums of national and international leading corporations. He was the General Administrator of Water and Sewage Services in Argentina, with jurisdiction all over the country. He was also founder and President of the National Institute of Water Science and Techniques, at present called “National Water Institute (in Spanish, INA). He co-ordinates the project “Freplata”, with the participation of the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He is a member of the Advisory Council of AIDIS: Inter-American Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Association. He is the President of the Technical Committee on Water Resources of the Argentine Center of Engineers (CAI).
In this Newsletter, he gives his opinion about the evolution, technological progress and protection as regards topics related to the active contribution of engineering to the development and protection of social resources.

According to your opinion, which is the evolution of engineering in the process of water issues and challenges, from the point of view of technological and scientific innovation?

This 21st Century finds hydraulic engineering facing a universe with an increasing demand of safe water and sanitation services, within the framework of an economic situation in which capital resources, available facilities and skilled labor are limited; and this demand is expected to rise substantially in the future. Under these circumstances, it is necessary that the field of engineering dealing with water resources have a clear view of the factors that have impact on technological innovation, within its technological scope. The high levels of scientific and technical requirements are closely related to the great variety of water systems, the growing variability of extreme phenomena, both increasingly exceptional floods and droughts; on the other hand, society is asking for environmentally sustainable solutions. To cope with these challenges with satisfactory answers, hydraulic engineering is aware that it should face the future with a combination of innovative technologies, researches of excellence and higher levels of graduate and post-graduate education.    

How do you think your engineering specialty has contributed to the technological progress and sustainable management of its biodiversity values in the protection of social resources?

Humanity increasingly depends on water and, within this context, hydraulic engineers are taking on an increasingly committed role to contribute to the solution of global water issues, placing them in front of a substantial technical and scientific challenge. Hydraulic engineering faces, with technology and the proper management of resources, the shortage of water in many cities, high percentages of urban population without access to sanitation services, highly polluted ground water, the lack of rainwater drainage systems and the occupation of flood plains of watercourses without control during dry seasons, and the resulting high impacts during the flooding seasons of rivers. Hydraulic engineers are faced today with these new challenges, by developing new design methods and more efficient technologies of construction and water and sewage treatment as well as of integrated management of water resources, thus achieving significant advances to accomplish the strictest environmental goals.  

How do you think ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA will contribute to improving present conditions as regards urban issues?

ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA will be an ideal meeting point to discuss and propose efficient instruments of design and the improvement of available techniques for engineers, as well as to point out research projects and associations that encourage the innovation in the design of urban infrastructure projects. The World Congress will enhance the interaction between institutions and professionals, researches and educators, and encourage a closer relation with society so that together we can tackle the increasing problems that are pressing on large urban communities.