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Water Management: An Uphill Battle in the Andes

Farmers at lower altitudes irrigate their fields with contaminated water from the upper reaches of the El Angel river basin.

2000-05-19

"The water coming into our village is totally contaminated... And there is practically no water during the dry season," said Salomon Acosta, a farmer from the small community of Mascarilla, Ecuador, during the March meeting of the Consorcio Carchi. Acosta was not only describing the problem facing him and his neighbours, but also thousands of other farmers in the El Angel river basin, near the northeastern frontier with Colombia.

The source of the irrigation network, on which they rely, flows from an altitude of more than 4,000 metres. The water is used and contaminated before it reaches their lands by communities above the village. Luckily, we are starting to deal with this problem thanks to the Consorcio. But there is still a lot of work to do, noted Acosta.

Irrigation canals

Long ago, the indigenous populations constructed the first irrigation canals in what is now the province of Carchi, well before the arrival of Europeans in this region. During the centuries that followed, the irrigation network grew haphazardly around the El Angel River, which descends from an altitude of 4,000 to 1,500 metres, over a distance of less than 50 kilometres. Today, there are more than forty canals supplying water for drinking and irrigation.

In late 1995, researchers in the region established the Consorcio Carchi as a forum for ordinary citizens, research and development non-governmental organizations (NGOs), national and foreign universities, international research institutions, and government agencies to work together to manage this labyrinth of canals. Some of these researchers launched what subsequently became the MANRECUR (resource management) project under the supervision of the Fundación para el Desarrollo Agropecuario (FUNDAGRO), an NGO based in Quito.

Ideal laboratory

The El Angel river basin seemed to us to be an ideal laboratory, explains Susan Poats, an anthropologist and the current project director. Several very diverse ecosystems and social systems are located within a confined territory. Moreover, the populations are in conflict because of poor management of this environment.

As a result, both natural science and social science researchers are finding a niche here. Since 1996, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has supported their work. In the first phase, the researchers contributed to an overall assessment of the 100,000 hectare El Angel watershed and water use area, which has an estimated population of 22,000. In the second phase, the researchers have focused on improving understanding of the local water system through studies on local water rights and the implementation of a participatory water monitoring system. The project team is currently collecting data on how much water is available in the basin and used by its inhabitants, because such information is either non-existent or outdated.

Outdated data

The data used by the [Ecuadorian] government for granting water rights are more than 15 years old. Their data suggest that there is a water surplus. However, all the studies we have done since 1996 suggest that there is a serious water shortage, says Mauricio Proaño, an agronomist with FUNDAGRO.

The government granted me a right to use water three years ago, but it is water that does not exist, Miguel Angel Cuaspud, a farmer from de San Francisco del Angel, told IDRC Reports Online. According to Dr Poats, our studies, which provide a more accurate estimate on water availability and use, can provide a basis for making better decisions concerning water allocation.

Contaminated water

Results from water quality studies conducted in the watershed also reveal high levels of water contamination in the lower section of the basin. The water is pure at its source. But as soon as it passes through local communities, it becomes contaminated by pesticides and household wastes. One of the victims is Fabian Minda, a farmer in the lower zone of the watershed. Our crops [sugar cane, cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, beans, etc.] are of a lower quality because of the water contamination, said Minda, while pointing out the brownish water flowing in the irrigation canal on which he relies.

The best way of controlling water quality and consumption is to raise awareness, argues Gustavo Diaz, a development psychologist with the MANRECUR project, which is currently focusing on finding solutions to the problems identified in phase one. We give courses and workshops to raise awareness and prevent conflicts [over water]. We also use the arts, such as theatre and music, to draw people's attention.

Spreading awareness

Cecilia Cabascango, a community 'promotora' working with the MANRECUR project, attended one of its training session's in order to sensitize her neighbours in the community of La Libertad, located at an altitude of 3,200 metres. People are only beginning to be aware of the negative impacts of pollution for inhabitants lower down. But they are, by and large, open to the message we are giving them, she concludes.

[Note: The Consorcio Carchi meets on the first Friday of each month in the town of El Angel, and usually attracts about 50 participants. The Consorcio's workplan for this year includes four main strategies: reducing pesticide use while improving agricultural production and productivity through farmer participatory research; creating collaborative mechanisms and building capacity to manage socio-environmental conflicts, especially those dealing with water; promotion of community resource management plans; and development of a watershed level approach to environmental education. The MANRECUR project supports each of these initiatives.]

Dominique Trottier is a freelance journalist based in Lima, Peru. (Photo: D. Trottier)

[Reference: IDRC Project Number 988754]

If you have any comments about this article, please contact info@idrc.ca . 

For more information:

Mauricio Proaño, FUNDAGRO/GRUPO RANDI RANDI, Casilla 17-16-219, Quito, Ecuador;Tel: (593-2) 220-533/4; Fax: (593-2) 507-422; Email: maupro@yahoo.com or manrecu2@impsat.net.ec

Gustavo Diaz, Edif. Municipio de El Angel, El Angel, Ecuador; Tel: (593-06) 280-355; Fax: (593-06) 977-149

Improving Access to Water on India's Deccan Trap Plateau, by Karen Twitchell

Promoting a Community-Based Approach to Watershed Resource Conflicts in Laos, by Keane Shore

Promoting Local Water Management in Nepal, by Lionel Lumb

Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in China's Tarim Basin, by Michael Dobie

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