Sustainability on the Rio Aguarico

Bethany Hoye & Andrew Glover

June 2006

Background

Over the course of one week, we visited 7 local communities in the vicinity of Amada Encarnacion, on the Rio Aguarico. We were primarily interested the mode of living in each of these communities, day to day, year to year, and generation to generation; and the sustainability of these modes. Each community was visited for 2-4hrs, by the two of us, accompanied by the President of Centro Union, and the caretaker of Amada Encarnacion. During the visit we would ask a specific set of questions about the population’s history, geography, education, diet, health and finances (attached), a well as engaging in more personal discussions as we were shown around the community.

Here we present our understanding of the three main issues that are facing all populations in the area: Cultural Sustainability, Economic Sustainability, and Environmental Sustainability. Our interpretations are based both on the answers given, and on observations made while touring the communities; these were sometimes contradictory.

While we have attempted to present this information as accurately as possible, a number of factors may have influenced the information gathered:

• The style of interview was not consistent across all communities; some were informal chats, while others were more formally conducted; sometimes with only one or two people, and others with gatherings of half a dozen or more community members. The people we talked to also varied in their status within the community; ranging from community leader, spiritual leader, or spokesperson, to individual land owners and school teachers.
• We asked our questions in Spanish as best we could, and answers were given in Spanish. Whilst we have tried to record the responses as accurately as possible, there may have been more information given than we were able to record
• We are very obviously foreigners, and we were accompanied by the president of another (colonist) community, both of which may have influenced the responses given
• There may also be some discrepancy between what the communities want us, as researchers, to think, and what is actually the case.