Indigenous water systems gain ground as climate pressures intensify in Bolivia
SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA, Bolivia — When Rolando Ágreda was 16, a severe drought hit his community of Ascensión de Guarayos in the Bolivian Amazon in 2022. Rumors spread that the municipality’s only water reservoir was dwindling. But it was the communal spring-fed pool, or paúro, that Ágreda had been visiting since childhood that […]
In the Bolivian Amazon, a severe drought in 2022 hit the community of Ascensión de Guarayos, causing townsfolk to fear their only water reservoir was diminishing. However, it was the communal spring-fed pool, or paúro, that vanished first, leaving the residents in confusion and sadness. The paúros, guarded by woodland spirits according to the Guarayú Indigenous People, were once a symbol of community joy and knowledge.
But with urbanization, non-indigenous settlers, and modern water infrastructure, this Indigenous wisdom was at risk of being lost. Only three of Ágreda's 28 classmates knew about the paúros, as the community had neglected them, allowing overgrowth to obscure their existence. To address this, Ágreda launched a districtwide competition in 2022, tasked with locating and restoring paúros across the municipality. By June of that year, they had already managed to return some to their former glory.
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