Making our way through Ecuador I’ve noticed there’s one natural resource that’s stands above the rest: water. I think a lot of us often forget how important and valuable water is, and how many services it can provide for humans and other organisms.
We stayed with an indigenous Cofan community for a week and were able to observe how they use water as their main form of transportation. There are no roads in the eastern selva section of Ecuador, so the community is completely dependent on rivers to travel. The Cofan also use the river to fish and to hunt down land animals like peccary (wild selva pig).
Overall the community seems to have a high respect for water, and aims to care for it and keep it as healthy as possible for themselves and for the other organisms. This mindset is very different than many communities in the USA, where water is seen solely as a resource to exploit for human benefit.
As we proceed on our journey we continue to see water in new ways, be it as a source of food, transportation, entertainment, or even hydropower.
By Reena Ramos
