The Fernando Lores Water Project
A Rotary International Project In Association with APECA
To Bring Clean Drinking Water to
The District of Fernando Lores in Amazonia, Peru
Where Is The District of Fernando Lores ?
In South America between Columbia to the North and Brazil to the South lies the Department of Loreto, Peru deep in the Amazon jungle. Iquitos is the capital City of Loreto, a remnant of the Rubber Baron glory days which attracted many native peoples creating a large indigent population in the area. The District of Fernando Lores in the department of Loreto is an area of about 240,000 acres whose capital, Tamshiyacu is about 28 miles upstream (South) from Iquitos on the Amazon river. There are no roads connecting Iquitos with the rest of the world in this part of the Amazon basin. All equipment, materials, supplies, ... etc. must arrive by air or lengthy riverboat trip.
Most of Fernando Lores exists in an Amazon River floodplain where there can be a seasonal water level rise or fall of 60 ft in some places. A population of about 20,000 inhabitants live in this District in more than 140 small communities. See the detailed area map below.
Watch out for this Map of the Fernando Lores district! It is drawn with typical Southern Hemisphere charm. South is at the top and North is at the bottom. Black dots indicate potential sites for a clean water project. Red dots indicate active water project sites. Nuevo Progreso is the site of the prototype tank built in 2005 (see pictures and discussion throughout the 2005 project). Nueva Esperanza, Nuevo Amor Fino and San Francisco de Angamos are the current 2007 active project sites (see current project updates). El Fundo is the APECA field headquarters (see: apecaperu.org). The 5 "zones" are selected based on population and Government built schools with tin roofs to catch the rainwater. The map represents an area of Amazon flood plain approximately 23 miles by 28 miles.
Background (Don't miss the links in the text to more background pictures)
Here is just a small reminder of the problem we face with unsafe water. Raw sewage is dumped into the bay of the Rio Itaya where it enters the Rio Amazonas. There are no sewer treatment facilities in any part of Loreto which constitutes fully 1/3rd of Peru. |
The Problem Overall in Peru 33% of the population does not have access to safe drinking water. In the District of Fernando Lores this is increased dramatically to 99%. Masked by the abundance of "fresh" water in the Amazon rainforest, is the very real need for safe clean drinking water. Almost all ground and surface water sources including the river are contaminated resulting in a very high incidence of waterborne disease. The Ministry of Health estimates that 50% of all deaths in the District are due to water related issues. Diarrhea related infant mortality is a serious consequence of the unsafe drinking water and one in five children under the age of five die from water related illnesses. Also, there is little if any awareness that the water could be causing the problems. After all, "you have to drink". Considerable education regarding hygiene issues associated with clean water handling, use and management is essential for any clean water project to be effective. |
The Players in the Field APECA - Peru (Association Promoting Education and Conservation in Amazonia), a non profit organization directed by Gina Low who has been helping and training in this community with medical, social, farming and general sustainability needs for almost 15 years. APECA, with field headquarters at El Fundo is ideally situated to manage this project at "ground Zero" and particularly capable of managing the critical education required for a successful clean water project. Pablo Guerra, a native of the area is also Treasurer and Program Director for APECA. He and Gina have spent years developing relationship and trust with the local people. "Everyone knows Pablo", is often heard. He was approached to be Mayor of Tamshiyacu but turned it down in favor of his work with APECA. Pablo is "in the field" constantly and is a driving force behind our project success. Alberto Rios, Director of the Board, APECA Peru, is a prominent architect in Iquitos where he has built many fine buildings and an internationally recognized luxury hotel. Alberto provides the engineering skill and design for our water tanks. He is often seen on site in his T-shirt and white cap reviewing/teaching/directing building techniques. Here we see, left to right, me, Gina, Pablo and Alberto on a work project at El Fundo in 2004. This is when we hatched the idea for The Fernando Lores Water Project. |
 
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The Vision To provide a source of clean safe water to the inhabitants of Fernando Lores and ultimately create a model for other Amazon rainforest communities to pursue. Traditional bore-holes and wells do not work in a floodplain where the water rises and falls so much. However, thousands of gallons of fresh clean water do fall from the sky almost daily (6" to 10"/month). The Ministry of Education in Peru has built schools throughout the District in an effort to provide education services to the indigenous people. Each school serves several small communities. These cement block buildings have a tin roof which can catch the rainwater and is roughly proportional in size to the serviced population. One square ft of roof coverage can deliver roughly 5 gallons/month rainwater and a 3,000 square ft school roof can deliver about 15,000 gallons/month or 500 gallons/day. This will provide essential clean water for cooking and drinking to the community and other surrounding communities. We have selected 20 communities in Fernando Lores that have a schoolhouse and are strategically located throughout the District (see Map above). Hence, these 20 school roofs can provide 20 rainwater harvesting sites. We wish to build a simple, cost effective, locally managed rainwater catchment system based on the successful prototype at Nuevo Progreso using these existing school roofs. Here a girl carries water in the traditional way from the prototype tank at Nuevo Progreso. A year later, the tank is still producing thousands of gallons of fresh clean water. The Rotary Wheel and the APECA logo painted on the tank can just be seen behind the tree (see pictures of the prototype operating in 2006 one year later). |
The Approach The problem will be addressed in two ways. An engineering approach provides the rainwater catchment system, thus making clean water available to the community. Here we see the prototype showing the catchment school roof and the cistern like water tank reservoir. An education approach provides information, instruction and demonstration of "why clean water is important for life" and "how do you handle clean water so that it stays clean". We have acquired through other Ministry of Health programs the absolutely necessary culturally specific materials to use in the education program. In Iquitos, Antonio Maldanado reviews the educational materials that will be used to teach the local population. Culturally specific materials are being used by APECA Vigilantes de Salud (Health Workers), APECA Parteras (Midwives), teachers in local schools and Ministry of Health Employees who are trained technicians in Puesta's de Salud (Health Stations). Years of experience have taught APECA board members that the success to any project is extensive education in the field one-on-one with the people. Very few inhabitants have contacts outside their village and many adults are non literate. |
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Participating Rotary Clubs We have raised $45,000 to build 3 more water tanks in the Fernando Lores area. This has been accomplished through a Rotary International Matching Grant and the cooperation of six Rotary Clubs from 3 Rotary Districts. Participating clubs are Industry Hills and Apple Valley from District 5300, Santa Rosa Sunrise, Santa Rosa West and Sebastopol from District 5130 and Iquitos Sur from District 4460, Peru. Both District 5130 and District 5300 provided generous matches from district funds (DDF). And of course, The Rotary Foundation provides 100% matching funds to the DDF and 50% match to all our other contributions. A new tank grows out of the Amazon flood plain at Nueva Esperanza a 14 hour "colectiva" boat ride upriver from Iquitos. Yet another tank site is being prepared at Nuevo Amor Fino about the same distance away and just a little closer to "home", the site at San Francisco de Angamos has been surveyed (see current project updates). |