protec ting and restoring watersheds 163
The story from page 159 continues here.
Improving health in the Aguan River Valley
The hurricane that hit Honduras affected everyone in the Aguan River
watershed, so everyone was willing to work together to recover. People from
towns and villages all over the valley began to meet. There had been landslides
everywhere and many people were without homes. With help from the Catholic
church, they began talking about how to fix their problems in a lasting way.
As they rebuilt their communities, they learned that the way they farmed
could either damage or protect the land. Farmers could improve the soil and
prevent erosion by planting in rows across the hillsides instead of up and down.
And drainage ditches, stone walls, and other barriers they made could protect
their hillsides. The farmers were glad to learn new ways to protect their
lands. But they also knew that the people doing the most harm were the cattle
ranchers and plantation owners.
Villagers and farmers began visiting families who had large banana
plantations or ranches with many cattle. The villagers spoke with the large
landowners about the importance of protecting the water for everyone.
“It is not only the poor who suffer from the effects of damaged land and
contaminated water,” they said. “It is all of us.”
Over time, even the richest landowners in the valley began to help in the
recovery effort. Some agreed to fence the creeks and springs to keep cattle out.
Others, who owned land in the hills, let the villagers who had land below plant
trees on their hillsides. Farmers from the valley approached landowners near
the hilltops and offered to trade some of their land for permission to fence and
protect the lands above. It was better for ranchers to have valley land for their
cattle and better for the whole community to keep cattle off the hilltops, so the
plan helped everyone.
After the hurricane, villagers
in the Aguan River Valley
began to have good relations
among people who once had
rarely spoken to each other.
They learned that by protecting
their watershed, they and their
children would have cleaner
water and safer homes. This is
good for the watershed and good
for the community.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012