We have launched on an aggressive campaign to save the Jondachi, and
have engaged the local population, as well as saturating the local
media. The result has been the formation of a group known as the "Amigos
del Rio Jondachi" that has brought together representatives of the
local community, owners of restaurants and hotels, and drivers to
address the issue. In the next week, this group will become a legalized
"citizen watch group" to defend the Jondachi River. A local kichwa
musical group composed a song in homage to the Jondachi River, which is
getting local airplay on the radios. The Camara de Turismo (chamber of
tourism) and the Camara de Comercio (chamber of commerce) have pledged
their support to the cause, and the Camara de Turismo is working on a
petition from all of their member establishments to reject the La Merced
de Jondachi hydroelectric project. This petition will reject the
implementation of the project completely, while we are still awaiting a
date for the legal hearing for the opposition that was entered last
month against allowing the project developer, Termopichincha S.A. have
water rights to the La Merced de Jondachi section of river.
The issue has become quite political, and it was revealed that the
Provincial Government signed an agreement in February, 2008 to work with
Termopichincha S.A. to develop this and other hydro projects on rivers
that we paddle in the area. This is an election year, and the Governess
is using these projects as the base of her political campaign to promise
employment and benefits for the local population.
We have our work cut out for us, but are gaining in support from the
local population. We are now working on developing posters and t-shirts
for the cause. In July, the ERI will install a real-time stream gauge
on the Jondachi to monitor flows and provide solid evidence that the
river does not maintain the flows that Termopichincha S.A. claims exist
in the river for their project. The hydrologic studies that
Termopichincha used for their La Merced de Jondachi project were based
on interpolated data from the Quijos River and the Misahualli and single
field measurements at monthly intervals. Real-time water data will give
us an important edge to our arguments, and boost our credibility.
On other fronts, we recently finished a two-week water quality
monitoring campaign with students from the Aquatic Ecology lab from the
Universidad de San Francisco de Quito. We now have data from 51 river
sites to establish baseline environmental data on water quality and
habitat on rivers in the upper Napo River watershed. We will carry out
the third and final monitoring campaign in July, and address gravel
mining and other impacted sites on local rivers.
Last week, the ERI received the legal report from the government
water board authority regarding the hydro project on the Pucuno River,
which drains off of the Sumaco Volcano and was suspended in April for
not complying with any government permits or regulations. The ERI is now
trying to reach consensus from local environmental groups and other
organizations on how to appropriately proceed with legal demands.
With the network of groups from Argentina with International Rivers,
we are trying to put pressure on the Argentinian government to stop
construction on the Coca-Codo Sinclair hydro project on the Quijos River
until the project meets the minimum requirements of having definitive
plans, updated studies, and an environmental impact study. Argentina has
30% interest in the project, and we have not received a favorable
response from Ecuadorian authorities regarding these legal violations.
SUPPORT THE ECUADORIAN RIVERS INSTITUTE
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rivers in Ecuador. Donations are US tax-deductible and can be made at
anytime with an online credit card transaction, direct deposit, or mail
deposit by following the instructions below. Thank you for taking the
time to make your personal donation. Your effort saves the ERI overhead
and resources and allows your contribution to have maximum
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write to info@kayakecuador.com or call toll-free 1-888-353-9849 in the
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3. Send a check or money order payable to the “Ecuadorian Rivers
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Enclose a piece of paper that says “Mail deposit. Please deposit to
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# 0034 7319 1323, Ecuadorian Rivers Institute.” Sign your Name and
put the Date. Mail to this address for direct deposit of your donation
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