Colombia and Ecuador battle to protect vital wetlands during drought

As water and energy restrictions hit both countries, rural communities in Colombia and Ecuador fight to protect fragile high altitude wetlands which regulate the area's waters cycles.

Scientists say that climate change and human activity have exacerbated the effects of El Nino, which has led to drought in Colombia and Ecuador.

The grassroots activists of the two countries have worked with international advocacy groups such as Conservation International to save water and protect the high altitude wetlands called paramos.

The Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru are home to the majority of the world’s paramos. These plants regulate the water cycle through absorbing rain and releasing it slowly.

Water dynamics have changed due to deforestation, climate change, and soil degradation in the Amazon. Patricia Bejarano is the director of Conservation International's Colombian Chapter, which runs the program for sustainable high mountain landscapes.

The crisis occurs as Colombia prepares for the United Nations conference on biodiversity to be held in Cali, at the end October.

The paramos show how important it is to protect nature in order to fight climate change. They also demonstrate the importance of protecting water, and ensuring a future for agriculture.

The drought in Bogota has forced the city to ration water. Bogota is Colombia's capital with almost 10 million residents. Meanwhile, Ecuador's power grid has been stretched to its limit, resulting in power cuts in order to conserve water.

Colombia has suspended its electricity exports to neighboring countries to boost its own reserves.

Thirteen members from El Tablon, an outlying rural community near Quito, work at a nursery to grow paper trees (a polylepis species), which are then replanted.

The nursery of the Fund for Protecting Water, FONAG, established by the international advocacy group, the Nature Conservancy, has been home to Diana Sopalo for the past four years.

A WATER FACTORY

Sopalo explained that paper trees are excellent for storing and capturing water because of their large surface areas. During the dry season, the species releases water slowly into the soil where it rejoins water cycle.

The nursery is led by women and has already planted 40,000 trees.

Sopalo: "It is a water plant."

Paola Fuentes of FONAG, an expert in water analysis, says that Quito relies on the water from paramos.

Fuentes stated that "the water comes from this area, and conserving the paramos or wetlands is important for the low areas of the city."

FONAG has 26 rangers who protect and monitor this region.

Galo Medina is the Ecuador leader for The Nature Conservancy.

Local activists and regional authorities in Colombia's Guatavita are working on plans to expand the borders of Vista Hermosa de Monquentiva. This protected area is located within the Chingaza paramo.

The Guatavita Mayor's Office, which works on environmental matters, has a 52-year-old employee who is responsible for protecting the park, its species, and plants such as frailejones or espeletia (known for their water conservation abilities).

Since 2018, the park has been protected and valuable frailejones, as well as other species, have grown slowly on its land. While we restore this ecosystem, there is great potential for water and flora. She said that it is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Reporting by Oliver Griffin, Guatavita; Alexandra Valencia, Paluguillo. Editing by Sandra Maler.

(source: Reuters)