User:AB.cal/Water supply and sanitation in Peru

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Pre-colonial and colonial water infrastructure

Prior to Spanish colonization, the indigenous people of Peru managed their water using surface catchments and artesian wells, as well as subterranean aqueducts (puquios) and sewer systems. Roughly 1,700 years old, some of these aqueducts are still in use in the Nazca region; as of 2019 they were under consideration as a World Heritage Site.

The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the mid-1500s left existing systems largely unchanged, as the Spanish themselves made use of the indigenous systems. However, indigenous infrastructure was put under strain as population centers grew along the dry western coast of Peru; additionally, under colonial policy surplus water withdrawals were encouraged to aid gold and silver mining (as opposed to agriculture). This marked the beginning of the mining industry’s heavy water consumption in Peru, which continues to be a point of high contention in the modern nation’s water sector.

Over the course of the following centuries, rural areas preserved a mix of colonial and indigenous water practices while urban centers like Lima continued to develop along the European model. After the establishment of the independent Peruvian state in 1821, conveyance pipes for drinking water began to be installed throughout Peru, slowly displacing the manual water porter and self-dug wells; the first potable water disinfection plant was installed in Lima in 1917. However waste was still collected in open ditches, and the investments in infrastructure were not organized.

Reassertion of state ownership

In 2009, a new water law reasserted the state's ownership of national water resources, affirming the government's absolute power in deciding where and by whom water is used. This affirmation resulted in a renewed push for centralized infrastructure via public-private partnerships, with corporations building and operating for an initial period before ownership is re-assumed by the state.

EcoSwell (original, to be completely replaced)

Non-profit work on water accessibility without government support is currently occurring, in Northern Peru, in the Talara region. EcoSwell identified a need for sustainable organizing and environmental and economic stability. Their bottom-up approach to community mobilization focuses on "the needs of the base of the pyramid". Ecoswell has chosen the town of Lobitos for its coastal location, its growing population, and its flow of tourism, as well as the threat to this town from climate change. EcoSwell has multiple projects focused on the long-term sustainability of this region's ecology, with a commitment to "no growth" or to a "steady-state economy". Ecoswell's projects are in line with the Peruvian government's commitment and recognized success in achieving the "sustainability sweet spot". One project uses solar-powered distillers to desalinate ocean water; Ecoswell is currently seeking support from the community and more funding to expand this project. Lobitos is located in a dry zone that does not have a lot of access to fresh water, so desalinization (drawing on the ocean nearby) is a smart alternative during drought periods.

Ecoswell Peru is a non profit organization founded by four lifelong friends with the mission of developing the coastal town Lobitos. Upon meeting up in Lobitos for a surfing trip, these four friends pondered upon a grave realization. This realization was that Lobitos was severely underdeveloped; there was a lack of clean water; the sewage system was defective; and the dry forest ecosystem was degrading rapidly. In an effort to restore the ecosystem of their favorite vacation spot, these lifelong companions collaborated together and created the non profit organization EcoSwell. EcoSwell was founded in 2013 and is composed of city locals as well as volunteer interns from around the world. Together the members of EcoSwell work on different projects and tasks to resolve the main objective which is to essentially develop the degraded coastal town of Lobitos.

EcoSwell

Founded in 2013, the NGO EcoSwell works on water and sanitation projects across Peru (amongst other sectors of work); they are based in the northwestern Lobitos district of the Talara region, an arid coastal area that faces water stress. To combat the challenges of derelict infrastructure and environmental degradation, EcoSwell primarily constructs physical WASH projects with the help of local residents and interns, including bio-remediation for wastewater management, dry toilets, grey water reuse, desalination, and groundwater monitoring. Their bottom-up approach to community mobilization focuses on the long-term sustainability of Peru's ecology, with a commitment to a steady-state economy.