By: National River Protection Network (2020)
On February 25 and 26 we have met at the Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University in Lima, defenders of the rivers: Nanay in Loreto, Huallaga in Ucayali, Mashcón and Jequetepeque in Cajamarca, Apurímac in Cusco, Marañón in Amazonas and Rímac in Lima to discuss the need for a policy proposal and a river protection law.
Action Plan
First, we have ratified the national balance of the rivers that we carried out in the First Meeting of the National Network for the Protection of Rivers in Satipo, where we denounce the main effects that are being caused in our various territories by the environmental crisis: (I) the change human-made climate affecting flows, Amazon and Andean ecosystems. (II) Likewise, the pollution of our rivers produced by the impacts of extractive and industrial activities and, (III) the solid waste of the cities that are killing our rivers, and all the biodiversity that includes thousands of citizens.
Second, we have made visible the weakness of the Peruvian State to protect, defend, manage and recover our rivers, as well as the lack of policies and laws in their defense and protection in Peru. Likewise, we have recognized the limitations of integrated water resource management due to its productive, economic, sectoral and little participative nature. The current management fails to capture the different worldviews, holistic and comprehensive views that indigenous peoples, peasant communities and women have on our rivers in the country.
In this sense, following the agreements of the VIII FOSPA, the First Meeting of the Network of Protection of Rivers in Satipo and before the problem of the rivers that have led to the diagnoses; This network has been discussing a proposal for a river protection policy, as well as a law that helps restore a relationship of respect and care for rivers. In this way, guarantee the protection of our rivers from different types of pollution and promote true participation in the management of rivers, basins and territories.
Strengthening National Policy and River Protection Law
Our national policy and river protection law must focus its management on some of the actions and interventions of the State on rivers, guaranteeing their rights to flow, to exercise essential functions with ecosystems, to be free from contamination, to feed and be fed by its tributaries, native biodiversity and restoration.
There are various actions that we are going to develop at the national level and in our territories to achieve visibility and approval of the national policy and the law for the protection of our rivers. One of the first actions that we are going to carry out is to take this proposal to the FOSPA and share it with all the people who participate. In this way, receive the various contributions that other countries have, especially on the various actions they have taken to defend and protect the rivers of our America. With all this we seek to improve and strengthen the policy and the law of defense of rivers in Peru.
An important delegation of defenders of the rivers has organized to have an active participation and reach MOCOA-Putumayo as small rivers, connected and united in the FOSPA loaded with proposals, hopes and life.
Photo: Amazon river|Photo by: International Rivers