Water Resource Preservation
The water resource in Guatemala is abundant, it has a large number of rivers and lakes throughout the territory.
Among the most important bodies of water, Lake Atitlán, located in the department of Sololá, can be mentioned. It is a protected area under the category of multiple use reserve. Derived from this category, it has a technical and scientific authority called the Authority for the Sustainable Management of the Lake Atitlán Basin and its Surroundings –AMSCLAE-.
This lake is surrounded by a series of municipalities and indigenous communities that live from tourism, this being one of the main sources of economic income. Likewise, there are a large number of hotels that provide tourism and accommodation services. Both the communities and the hotels have generated pollution towards the lake, due to the discharge of residual waters, solid residues, erosion and currents causing considerable damage to it.
From this account, in October 2016, the Municipality of San Pedro La Laguna issued a municipal agreement prohibiting the sale and distribution of plastic bags, duroport (Stereophone) and straws, sanctioning their use with a monetary fine.
In 2017, the indigenous communities that are around the lake, organized themselves in order to support the initiative proposed by the Municipality of San Pedro La Laguna, since natural resources are important from their ancestral traditions and Mayan worldview, for both also rejected the use of straws, plastic bags and duroport.
Part of the activities that the communities are carrying out is the sale of indigenous cloth bags for use in the markets, or selling cloth napkins to be able to deliver tortillas to the residents. They also carry out recycling activities to avoid the discharge of wastewater or solid waste.
Let's implement preventive measures to conserve water resources, guaranteeing the enjoyment of this vital liquid for future generations.