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Maranon Waterkeeper Newsletter December 2016
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Celebrating 1st year of Marañón Waterkeeper
  • Amazonian Dams put on hold
  • Growing the team!
  • New report on status of Marañón Dams
  • Machu Picchu Kayak Festival
Looking Ahead
  • Private Conservation Areas for the Marañón Valley?
  • Longitudinal Biological Inventory.
  • Citizen Science on the Marañón.
  • Join us on the river!
  • Media Projects
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Photo: Bill Hatcher
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Celebrating 1 year of Marañón Waterkeeper

December 2016 marks the one year anniversary of Marañón Waterkeeper, we would like to thank you for your support over the past year. As this is our first year, please forward or share/forward this update to those interested in protection of the Marañón so we can grow this movement. If you are reading this but not yet on our mailing list, please sign our petition here and opt in for our email updates.

Amazonian Dams Put On Hold

On October 1st 2016 Marañón Waterkeeer organised a meeting between the Peruvian minister for Mining and Energy, and the minister for environment, Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and topic experts.
Following this meeting, on October 4 the Peruvian Government announced it would not be pursuing dams in lowland Amazon, meaning the largest and most destructive dams on the Marañón are unlikely to go ahead. The ministers also told us that there would be no new construction beginning on the Marañón under their administration; meaning the Marañón will continue to flow free at least until 2021.

See full article here.
Marañón Waterkeeper, Peruvian Ministers for Mining and Energy, and Environment, Robert F. Kennedy Junior and experts on energy and environmental issues on the Marañón.

Growing the Team!

Diana was appointed as Coordinator in September to head up the Remando Juntos campaign in Peru, which focuses on community based grass-roots action, local events and education to protect the Marañón.

Over the past month Diana conducted dozens of interviews. Selected from over 200 applicants we're excited to announce these new members of the team who are working with us to protect the Marañón:
Tamara Rosse (Graphic Design)

Lucila Rozas (Research Assistant)

Lucía Peláez (Event Producer)

Diego del Río (Photography and Videography)

Henry Zapata Audiovisual (Photography and Videography)
Karen Luy de Aliaga (Creative Director)

Leslie Peña (Community Manager)

Odalyz Suárez (Project Assistant)

Mauricio Pinzas (Project Assistant)

Updated Report on Dam Status & Overview of Issue

We released an updated report outlining each dam, its known status and background information related to the energy reality in Peru and conservation priorities on the Marañón. If anyone asks you a tricky question abut why we need to protect the Marañón, we hope you can find the answer here. If it lacks information, let us know so we an grow the body of knowledge!

Notable Changes to Dam Status:
  • Rio Grande I & II are progressing through the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. The EIA has been submitted to the Ministry of Energy and Mining and is pending approval.
  • In October/November 2016 the EIA for 180MW Chilia project was lodged with the Ministry of Energy and Mining and is pending approval.
Read Full Report

Marañón Waterkeeper Patrol #1

The first ever Marañón Waterkeeper Patrol took place in June 2016 and it was a great success. We were accompanied on the river by award winning Peruvian journalist Jack Lo, (his article was later syndicated to major news outlets in Peru); WWF Photographer Diego Perez and renowned river conservationist Gary Wockner.

If you would like to join us on the river in 2017, you can find more information here.

Machu Pichu Kayak Festival

The Machu Pichu Kayak Festival is on its way to becoming a national kayaking event in Peru. Working with event organisers we utilised this opportunity to reach national media about the lack of planning for hydroelectric development in the Peruvian Amazon. With several hundred dams planned, and no strategic plan in place the impacts of these dams could be disastrous. 
Over 70 athletes from all corners of the globe created a newsworthy spectacle to carry the conservation message far. The event also attracted entries by local school children who created over 400 artworks in support of Clean and Free Rivers.

Looking Ahead

Conservation Area on the Marañón?
Marañón Waterkeeper is facilitating the creation of a Private Conservation area upstream of the Veracruz Dam site. Anyone who knows this river, will remember this area as one of the most stunning sections of river, and it also happens that these dry forests, beaches and pools are some of the most species rich areas in the entire valley, harboring several threatened species.
The hope would be to protect this area from unsustainable development, and mobilize a communty surrounding it's protection in face of the Veracruz project.

Biodiversity Inventory of the Marañón
Given the 5 year halt on dams on the Marañón, now is the time to build a solid case to protect the source of the Amazon.
One key step will be to identify exactly which freshwater species (fish, macroinvertebrates and plants) exist on the river, and where. Marañón Waterkeeer is searching for grant funding to make such a study possible, working in conjunction with the Amazon Waters Initiative.
See article published in the IUCN Freshwater Fish Newsletter

Citizen Science on the Marañón
Members of the Marañón Project research expedition conducted in 2015 have teamed up with Marañón Waterkeeper to create a citizen science program allowing people in the area can sample  water quality and sediment data while they are on the river.

Anyone who is travelling down the Marañón River is encouraged to contact us to help with research.

Media Projects Underway:
Proposal for Private Conservation Area on the Marañón, a place you will certainly visit if you are ever passing by!

Join us on the Marañón!

If you would like to join us on our July or October Patrols in 2017, contact us! In July we will have special guests from Peruvian sustainable travel Program '2 En Ruta' who will be filming an episode showcasing this incredible valley.
All guest spaces on this journey are fully guided and catered by our luxury rafting travel partners.
Join us on the River!
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