Environmentally sustainable universities: the Nueva Granada Campus of the Nueva Granada Military University and its relationship with water

Abstract

Introduction: The Nueva Granada campus headquarters of the Nueva Granada Military University was built responding to global trends in modern architecture to be in harmony with the environment through its bioclimatic constructions, lighting based on photovoltaic energy and management of water resources. However, the constant growth of the academic offer, the infrastructure and the university community demand a greater use of natural resources, essential for the proper functioning of the headquarters. One of these resources is water.

Objective: the work evaluated the sustainability of water management in the campus of the university.

Methodology: This evaluation was carried out using the Water Resource Sustainability Index with the integration of the water footprint concept.

Results: It was obtained that the university has made efforts for the efficient management of water resources. However, these are not enough to evaluate water management as sustainable.

Conclusions: Considering this result, it is concluded that the university must formulate improvement actions in the technological and institutional management aspects that will allow to maintain stable water consumption under the scenario of the university's growth, reduce the pollution of the discharges and impact in a positive way on the evapotranspiration, as a fundamental part of the return of water to the environment.