Sostenibilidad

Rural villages such as the ones located in the Andean mountains of southern Peru present an interesting dilemma. For an external observer, there is usually little doubt that people from these villages should be considered as indigenous: they are the descendants of pre-colonial societies, speak an ancestral native language (Quechua), and have worldviews, social norms, economic systems, and cultural practices that are different from the ones of the rest of the country’s population.

In Part I of this blog (The Allure of Cash Compensation in Resettlement Processes), last week I told the story of Fernando, a man forced to leave his home as a result of a new hydropower project, who received a large sum of cash as compensation but ultimately ended up in financial ruin. Accordingly, I would like to return to the question: if resettlement cannot be avoided, is cash compensation an appropriate mitigation measure?

The excitement raised by the launch of the Panama Canal’s expansion and the astonishment of some 40 thousand individuals that were moved as they watched a gigantic Cosco Shipping Panama sail by are still palpable. However, as the celebrations die down, we must focus on the challenges Panama faces in the wake of this new era. Without question, one of its main challenges is water resource management.

Fernando was excited about a large amount of money he had just received. The money came from a public energy agency as compensation for the loss of his house and the source of his livelihood. He used to live and work by a nearby river, panning for gold on the riverbanks, until he was informed that he needed to vacate the area.

What’s the Key to Successful Sustainable Development Planning? We need local people to be involved in solving the world’s most pressing issues

Water is a shared resource; the quality and quantity of water available to each stakeholder depends on how others use it. Water is essential for life and much more - rivers, lakes, floodplains and coastal areas provide flood protection, energy, navigation routes, recreational sites, building materials and food.A shared and essential resource should be used carefully, but because it is free and seemingly infinite, there is little incentive for this. The increasing demand for both ground and surface water, fueled by population & economic growth, is leading to overexploitation.

You have probably heard of the phrase “Help Me, Help You,” made famous by Tom Cruise in the movie Jerry Maguire. He utters it in a desperate attempt to persuade his last remaining client, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Rod Tidwell, to start engaging in independent activities—those outside the control of his managing agent.

• Ri