In the heart of the Colombian Amazon, 69-year-old Marciano Flores stands knee-deep in the river, his seasoned eyes scanning the waters for a promising catch. With a lifetime spent working these rivers, Flores knows the currents and fish patterns like the back of his hand. But today, the river is a shadow of its former self.
“The drought has hit me hard,” says Flores, a member of the Cocama Indigenous community. “When the water’s low, the fish die, so there’s nothing to get.”
A year ago, the spot where Flores and his crew now wade would have been submerged far above their heads. The Amazon River, a lifeline for countless communities, is at an unprecedented low. The fishermen’s nets come up empty more often than not, forcing them to venture further downriver in search of scarce fish—a pursuit that eats into their dwindling resources as fuel costs rise.
The decline in fish populations isn’t just a blow to Flores’s livelihood; it’s a stark indicator of the environmental crisis unfolding in the region. Extreme drought conditions, attributed to changing climate patterns, are disrupting the delicate balance of the Amazon’s ecosystem. For Indigenous communities like the Cocama, who rely on the river not just for sustenance but as a cornerstone of their culture and traditions, the impacts are deeply felt.
“We used to catch enough to feed our families and sell at the market,” Flores reflects. “Now, every day is a struggle.”
The situation calls for urgent attention from environmental authorities and policymakers. The plight of Flores and his community underscores the broader challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in the Amazon, as they grapple with the immediate effects of climate change.
As the Amazon River continues to recede, so too does a way of life that has endured for generations. The Cocama and other Indigenous communities find themselves at a crossroads, their future uncertain in the face of environmental upheaval.
Reference(s):
In Colombia, extreme drought falls hard on Indigenous communities
cgtn.com
