Cuenca first city with electric vehicle recharge stations; Rural Azuay has high child malnutrition rate; City bike lane project is 50% complete

Lunes, 23/8/2021

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
Nada.

Titular –

Alta desnutrición infantil en Azuay (High child malnutrition in Azuay) – The cantons of Nabón, Oña, Pucará, and Sígsig have a problem with malnutrition, mostly in children between 0 and 5 years old. A 2018 national survey showed more than 35% of children were malnurished in Azuay. Reasons include difficult economic conditions, lack of access to basic services, health difficulties, intrafamily violence, migration and others. The problem is most common in rural sectors and indigenous communities. In Pucará, a factor in chronic malnutrition is the distance of 64 communities some of which are not accessible by road. These statistics are reflected in other areas of the country and the MSP and MIES are working to cover these gaps in attention. A intersectorial strategic plan will be launched in the 2nd week of septiembre.

Cuenca –

Ya se deben regular los scooters (Scooters should now be regulated) – See today’s article in CHL for story. In the new law, electric vehicles with motors with more than 750 watts of power will be considered motorized and not allowed to use the ciclovías.

Cuenca’s $8 million, 13.5 kilometer bicycle path project is 50% complete.

Las electrolineras (Charging stations) – Cuenca was the first city to install electrolineras <Your word for the day – like gasolineras> with a project by the City and the U. of Cuenca to install at least 10 stations in various sectors of the city. There will also be stations in Paute, Gaulaceo, Girón, Santa Isabel and on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-Naranjal. <Might be enough to get you to Guayaquil, but then where can you get a charge?>

Construcción de la ciclovía en un 50% (Construction of the bike path at 50%) – The $8,056,521.48 project to build 13.5 km. network of bike lanes started el 16/6. This is part of the 125 km. of bicycle infrastructure planned in Mayor Palacio’s administration. The cost of the project includes $4.6 million for the ciclovía route; $2.4 for plazas, intersections, planting and furniture; and $1.0 million for electrical work. The work was awarded in 42 contracts with 36 for civil and 6 for electrical work. Construction should last from 90 to 120 days with work on Primero de Mayo from Las Américas to parque Paraíso at 50% complete and on Av. Pumapungo to Max Uhle at 5% complete. There are sections of the project that cannot be worked on. A family on 1 de Mayo is calling for the city to compensate it for land taken 6 years ago. The amount owed is over $1 million. Another section on 27 de Febrero is stopped until a better alternative can be developed with the neighbors who do not want to make the vehicular lanes narrower.

Nacional –

Aumenta en Ecuador la demanda de electricidad (Demand for electricity increases in Ecuador) – In the period from enero a julio de 2021, demand for electricity in Ecuador increased by 8.13% over the same period in 2020. The Ministerio de Energía y Recursos Naturales No Renovables (Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources) noted that the gradual increase in commercial and industrial activity has sparked this increase. Electrical consumption in Ecuador was 15,086 gigawatts per hour from enero a julio, 2021 with 62.2% consumed on the coast, 34.7% in the sierra, and 3.1% in the Amazonía. <More industry and AC on the coast?> In the first half of this year, 410.01 GW/hr was exported to Colombia and Perú earning the country $7.25 million. The supply and export of electricity was done with 93.4% renewably generated power and 6.6% with thermoelectricity. <And not one lump of coal in the whole process.>

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne