2010- On August 22nd Tierra Selva – Central Huallaga Riverkeeper held its second local swimming fundraiser event. The 4 kilometer swim was done to bring attention to key issues such as water contamination and mismanagement as well as broader issues such as deforestation and global climate change. “The river has undergone many changes and these are not positive” said Saaron Rivera Ruiz, local navigator of the river system. “We have seen an increase in migrants, agricultural production and increases in flooding and drought. This is a problem for all our communities who depend on the river system as part of their life. I come from a long family of navigators, the changes are big and my father talks of days when the river was respected and life was good. Now we have bad waters and we cannot count on the river as it floods and then there are long periods of droughts. The Huallaga is the source of life for all our villagers we need to continue to respect it and the Yacumama. Participating in the swim is an important for our community, we would not be able to draw attention to the river and our communities conditions otherwise.
The fundraising event started at Eco-pueblo Bougainvillea with some of the local children from neighboring communities joining in with Rena Guenduez, technical advisor to Tierra Selva swimming more than 5 kilometers. Harry Tabakis director of Tierra Selva explained that river conditions are fierce in certain areas with giant water surges and whirlpools forming, and strong under currents making this a swim not for the faint of heart. “Conditions are tough and even worse in the rainy season where the river can increase to 4 meters in height in certain areas making it a challenge to navigate across. Dry seasons are better however conditions are still dangerous. The Huallaga is the fifth longest in Peru and runs from the Andean highlands to the mouth of the Maranon which leads into the Amazon. It is one of the most important rivers, that has yet to be navigated its full length. It is a critical river to the sustainability of all life forms and its waters reach the Amazon River. Protecting and creating an awareness about the Huallaga is critical to its and the Amazons well-being.” At Tierra Selva we are looking at alternative measures far from traditional development work to succeed at local preservation and conservation. Our model is unique and focuses on basic survival socially, culturally and environmentally if the economic equation collapses.”
After her grueling swim we sat down and asked Rena Guenduez a few questions about the issues facing the Huallaga and its region, Rena Guenduez replied that on a community level the Huallaga watershed basin is facing serious threats from deforestation (estimated 8000 hectares daily cut or burned down), river contamination through poor waste, water and agricultural practices as well as coca production, mine tailings, over fishing/harvesting and development. Combined with this are socio-economic issues related to poverty, illiteracy lack of skills, values as well as the transitional complexities involved in local integration of the economic market.
Since the post-free-trade agreement with the U.S., Peruvian government policies are looking to the Amazon region (Huallaga Central) as a new and endless natural resource frontier. The opening of the Amazon for oil, and gas, mining, large-scale mono-agriculture and pharmaceutical exploitation will have lasting long-term and irreversible impacts on the environment and people, if not managed in a way that takes into consideration public input (prior, free and informed consent), integrated and holistic management and proper mitigation and monitoring measures. Continued global economic volatility will also play a role on local social and economic conditions, potentially creating greater social divides and increased illegal activity in coca production and logging.
There also needs to be greater attention paid to local native communities and the issues and challenges that they face; their voice needs to be heard and needs considered and addressed. The Huallaga is the lifeline of all people, plants and animal species; it is an important life source and it is the centre of our earth – providing humanity with the air that we breathe. Understanding this and drawing attention to the current conditions in this region are an important part of slowing down global climate change. The Huallaga swim is the first step in drawing attention to the issues and to raise funds for ensuring that capacity is built around these issues and appropriate advocacy and preservation measures are implemented. Every cent donated is a valuable contribution and will make a difference.
We asked about future fundraising events of which the Tierra Selva team said that they had a few other events planned to further the cause and create awareness.
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