Through ancestral “water harvesting” technology, Ayacucho women (Peru) preserve water, and have passed this knowledge on to Costa Rican women and farmers.

Ayacucho, January 31, 2020. “We connect through emotions and we are nature, we are part of it. That is why in the community of Quispillacta (Ayacucho) we are stewards of water, and we contribute to the conservation, recovery and sustainable use of this mineral,” says Magdalena Machaca, one of the founders of the Asociación Bartolomé Aripaylla (ABA).

She, along with the so-called “women of ABA”, participated in a meeting led by the Association for Research and Integral Development (AIDER), which was attended by authorities from Ayacucho; community leaders; Renato Víquez, Costa Rican ambassador to Peru; Tatiana García, head of Environment and Climate Change of the European Union in Peru; and Gustavo Solano, binational coordinator of the ”Water Harvesting” Project”, which is part of the EUROCLIMA+ Programme.  

During the meeting, Magdalena Machaca explained that, in recent years, her community has been affected by climate change, given that rainfall has decreased, which could have affected the population in various aspects such as food security. However, through water harvesting, they have built 121 ponds, benefiting over 260,000 people.

Water harvesting is a practice based on ancestral knowledge, which consists of storing water from rainfall, increasing its infiltration, and taking advantage of it in times of drought. According to the Agua – Andes. portal. Gustavo Solano adds that through this technology people are adapting to climate change, and living in harmony with nature.

 “Without the women of ABA the ponds would not have been built, and now thanks to them there is a place to store water. Harvesting water is an inexpensive local system with a very rapid positive impact,” said Solano.

Intercultural transfer among indigenous peoples

As part of the collaborative work between Peru and Costa Rica to face the effects of climate change, and to generate a common benefit, the women of ABA travelled to the province of Guanacaste (Costa Rica) and taught how to build the reservoirs. There are currently 5 ponds, which have a storage capacity of 35,000 cubic meters.

This ancestral technique has also been transferred to the mountains of Piura, one of the largest cities in Peru and where the effects of climate change have impacted the population with droughts and floods. Two reservoirs have been built, with a capacity of nearly five thousand cubic meters.

The technical assistance, required materials, and the construction process was possible thanks to the funds provided by the European Union in the project and the counterparts of the implementing agencies AIDER in Peru and the National Forest Financing Fund (Spanish acronym FONAFIFO) in Costa Rica.

This initiative allows vulnerable populations in Peru and Costa Rica to continue adapting to the effects of climate change, which is severely impacting all Latin American countries.  For example, Costa Rica is facing the most severe drought in 75 years and one of the causes is the increase in greenhouse gases, as explained in IAgua.

Through the project “Harvesting Water Project”, Costa Rica is transferring its experience in ecosystem services to Peru in order to give economic, social and environmental recognition to water protection, but at the same time to implement the water canon and a compensation is granted from the profits obtained through the use of the resource. These practices will benefit both communities and countries.

Renato Víquez, Costa Rica's ambassador to Peru, stressed that in Costa Rica's vision, not just water resources but other areas as well are being protected. “We opt for development that puts nature and the population at the centre”, he explained and added that it is important to demand awareness of climate change, and to develop actions to counteract it. “Through the project we understand the importance of protecting environmental resources, and these are significant steps for saving the planet,” he said.

Tatiana García, of the European Union, stressed that water harvesting is a specific action for confronting climate change. “We are gathering one of the most ancestral experiences that Peru has had”. She also explained that the European Union's commitment to address climate change goes beyond its borders. That is why the EU is working on cooperation, but also on political dialogue with countries and states to redouble efforts in the fight against climate change.

From local spirituality to global development

For the women of ABA, water is a living being and therefore it is very important to respect the resource, “to give it love and a lot of understanding,” as Magdalena says. The spiritual burden that borne in Andean wisdom is being transferred to the communities in Costa Rica. It is important to emphasise that through the Andean cosmovision important work is being developed to protect water and nature that contribute to sustainable development. "Water unites us and generates links, that is why it must be protected," Magdalena concluded.

DATA 

• The project "Harvesting water, water services canon, and recognition of payment for environmental services under the South-South Cooperation framework in Peru and Costa Rica" is part of the "Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystems" component of the EUROCLIMA+ programme, financed by the European Union and managed by Expertise France and GIZ. Project implementation is the responsibility of AIDER . Learn about the project here.
• The project has allowed the creation of a space for consultation between institutions, local governments and the population.
• In Costa Rica, the local governments of Cañas and Bagaces, the Institute for Agrarian Development (INDER), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, as well as community organisations, have articulated efforts for the establishment of five reservoirs and their potential scaling-up.
• In Peru, the Association for Investment and Integral Development (AIDER), the local government of Pacaipampa and the Regional Water Fund (FORASAN) in Piura, as well as the regional government of Ayacucho and the Bartolomé Aripaylla Association (ABA), are developing actions to improve water supply sources through the construction of two reservoirs in Piura and the recognition of ecosystem services in Ayacucho.

 About EUROCLIMA+

EUROCLIMA+  is a programme financed by the European Union and co-financed by the Federal Government of Germany through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the Governments of France and Spain, to promote environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and UN Environment.

Contacts for more information and the press

Maite Cigarán: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Gustavo Solano: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. o This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.