With the support of the National Secretary of Science  and Technology (SENACYT), el Centro Regional Universitario de Azuero de la Universidad de Panamá held, between September 9 and 13, 2019, the VIII Scientific Congress of the Azuero Region and the  II International Congress, under the motto: “Water is the Essence of Life, Peace and World Development”. The theme was approached holistically, considering various scenarios such as social, cultural, economic, educational, technological and health, through a series of activities, including 17 presentations, 38 conferences, 7 seminars/workshops, 4 exhibitions, 23 posters and attended by 2 165 people, including professors, professionals, students, administrators and the general public.  In this way the congress was constituted in a space that allowed national and international specialists to share knowledge and experiences, and to confirm that through the research and collaboration between countries and institutions it is possible to generate extraordinary joint initiatives conducive to the sustainability of the environment.  Below there are 18 abstracts of papers and conferences presented at the congress.