First Steps in Ecuador: Insights from Foro de los Cursos Hídricos in Riobamba

By Maaike de Wit (Master students exchange programme, cohort of 2024-2025)

Hello! My name is Maaike, I’m 23 years old, and I will be doing my thesis research in Licto, Ecuador. I’m currently based in Riobamba, a big city near Licto. In my first month here, I have spent most of my time learning Spanish. Apart from learning the language, living in Ecuador has also thought me a lot about the local culture, norms, and values—and occasionally, I even encounter themes closely connected to my thesis.

One such moment was a forum on the new water laws, the ‘Foro de los Recursos Hídricos’. Together with three other students also doing research here, I went to Casa Indígena in Riobamba in which the Forum took place. Foro de los Recursos Hídricos is a yearly event in which the new water law is discussed and water users from the region can share their opinions and concerns on this law.

The forum began with a ritual in honour of the mountain gods. This involved playing various instruments and performing traditional dances – beautiful to see! What also struck me was how alive Andean culture and traditional costumes are, and how proud people are of their culture. As you can see in the picture, almost all women wear long, traditional skirts, a white blouse and a band around their waists. Men and women wear hats, and the men often also wear a poncho. During the ritual and forum, a lot of Quechua, the local language in the Andes, was spoken. This was partly for those who do not speak Spanish, but also to emphasise the importance of preserving this language and culture.

After the ritual, the substantive part of the forum began, in which different speakers discussed the problems in the region and the political situation. This was very interesting for us as it showed how many diverse challenges there are. This was followed by open discussions. The participants were divided into three groups: (1) Irrigation and agricultural development, (2) Water for human consumption and domestic use, and (3) Ecosystems and social action. I was assigned to the first group, which I was very happy with because it aligned with my thesis topic.

We all set together in a big circle, I had placed myself in the second row of the circle as observer. In this group, an open discussion took place about the new legislation and the obstacles the water users face. Many of the water users mentioned the problems of privatization and modernization efforts of water systems in the region. Half way during the discussion there were two students from the ESPOCH University who gave a presentation about a new drip irrigation practice. I noticed how intently the water users listened to the presentation. However, afterwards there were also fierce discussions over what the implementation of these modernisation practises would mean – whether they would be effective and who would ultimately control the systems. It was very special to hear firsthand from the water users, the problems I had previously only read about in papers. Not only did this event give me insights into problems in the region but also about the importance of politics and customs during these events. Overall I left the event with many new impression and thoughts to digest.

One thought that stayed with me was how interesting yet challenging it is to grasp the problems being discussed. I recognize that having only been here for a month—a very short time—limits my perspective. But perhaps, as an outsider, fully grasping these issues is inherently difficult. Therefore, at times it feels strange to research such local issues when you yourself lack so much local background knowledge to place these problems in context. Yet, this very challenge is what makes the experience so valuable. One of the most important skills I’m developing is learning how to interpret and understand complex problems, even when lacking local insights that I may never come to understand.

To conclude, I am incredibly grateful that I get to have these experiences and can not wait to learn more the coming time!


Figure 1 A presentation during the Forum

Figure 2 eating together outside after the forum

 

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