“If it weren’t for us, who would fight?”: Water defenders demand urgent action from the next government

Representatives from social, indigenous, and environmental organizations across ten Peruvian regions have announced the formation of a national alliance dedicated to defending the country's water sources. They are urgently calling on the incoming government to implement concrete measures to combat pressing issues such as water pollution, illegal mining, deforestation, oil spills, drug trafficking, and water scarcity.

The declaration came after a meeting in Iquitos that brought together 25 female leaders from various regions, including Arequipa, Puno, Ucayali, Madre de Dios, Loreto, San Martín, Amazonas, Cajamarca, Junín, and Lima. Mari Luz Canaquiri, president of the Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana federation, emphasized the vital role women play in safeguarding rivers, lakes, and other ecosystems threatened by activities impacting water quality and availability.

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If it weren't for us, who would fight?

The gathering, held on June 10 and 11 as part of the 'Nosotras, agua y futuro' (We, Water and Future) event, was organized by the Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana federation and the Legal Defense Institute (IDL). Participants shared experiences defending environmental resources linked to the Marañón River, Lake Titicaca, the Salinas National Reserve, and areas affected by the Conga project, the Ucayali River, La Oroya, and the Ventanilla oil spill.

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We are promoting a national movement of women who daily defend water sources in Amazonian, Andean, and coastal areas. Against many barriers, we are leading the defense of water, without which humanity could not live.

These leaders also exchanged strategies to strengthen the protection of water sources and consolidate support networks among organizations from different regions. They agreed to foster joint efforts to raise awareness about water access conflicts and reinforce the defense of their territories. "We are promoting a national movement of women who daily defend water sources in Amazonian, Andean, and coastal areas. Against many barriers, we are leading the defense of water, without which humanity could not live," stated Soraya Poma, president of the Network of Women in Defense of Lake Titicaca.

The water defenders used the meeting to address the authorities set to take office on July 28. In a joint statement, they demanded decisive action to confront the impacts of various activities on the nation's water resources. "From the city of Iquitos, we make a collective call to the next authorities in the Government, and we demand that they stop looking the other way regarding the water problem: pollution, mining, illegal logging, drug trafficking, oil spills, scarcity. All of this is happening," the statement read.

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From the city of Iquitos, we make a collective call to the next authorities in the Government and we demand that they stop looking the other way regarding the water problem: pollution, mining, illegal logging, drug trafficking, oil spills, scarcity. All of this is happening.