Private Story
COVID-19 Water crisis
Crisis del agua COVID-19
Según datos de la ONU, el Perú es una de los 20 países con mayor cantidad de recursos hídricos, pese a esto, la realidad es que entre 7 y 8 millones de personas (casi un tercio de la población nacional) no cuenta con con agua potable. Lima, es la segunda capital en el mundo asentada en un desierto y solo llueve 9 milímetros al año. Siendo el río Rímac su principal proveedor de agua para la población (74.5% de agua) y a su vez, es una de las cuencas más contaminadas del país.
Producto de la migración, la ciudad siguió creciendo en sus extremos hacia zonas aun mas áridas, comunidades enteras que se asentaron en arenales, quienes son abastecidos de agua a través de camiones cisterna, pagando hasta mas del doble o triple del costo promedio.
Esta situación se ha visto recrudecida en el momento de emergencia que vive el país debido al COVID-19. Donde la gran mayoría de personas tiene muchas restricción para seguir los protocolos de higiene sugeridos frente a la propagación del virus. Los cuales ademas se ven seriamente comprometidos con las dificultades económicas que ha impuesto la crisis. El Peru tiene un alta tasa de informalidad, de personas que viven con ls ingresos del día a día, esto sumado al incremento y especulación del precio de venta de los productos desinfectantes y de protección.
Producto de la migración, la ciudad siguió creciendo en sus extremos hacia zonas aun mas áridas, comunidades enteras que se asentaron en arenales, quienes son abastecidos de agua a través de camiones cisterna, pagando hasta mas del doble o triple del costo promedio.
Esta situación se ha visto recrudecida en el momento de emergencia que vive el país debido al COVID-19. Donde la gran mayoría de personas tiene muchas restricción para seguir los protocolos de higiene sugeridos frente a la propagación del virus. Los cuales ademas se ven seriamente comprometidos con las dificultades económicas que ha impuesto la crisis. El Peru tiene un alta tasa de informalidad, de personas que viven con ls ingresos del día a día, esto sumado al incremento y especulación del precio de venta de los productos desinfectantes y de protección.
Esta primera etapa del reportaje, fueron tomadas en las zonas mas alta de Villa Maria del Triunfo.
Water Crisis COVID-19
Difficulty in water water access renders vulnerable communities defenseless against a high risk situation like the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to UN data, Peru is amongst the 20 countries with more water resources, yet the reality is that between 7 and 8 million people (almost a third of the country’s population) have no drinking water or sewage services. Lima is the second biggest capital city located in a desert and rain amounts to just 9 mm per year. The Rímac river is its main water source (74.5%) but is also one of the most polluted watersheds in Peru.
Due to internal migration, the city grew outwards from the river, into even more arid zones. Entire communities settled in sand dunes, where they obtain water through tank trucks, paying sometimes double or triple the average local price.
This situation has rapidly worsened due to the global COVID-19 emergency and the local measures to prevent its spread. Most people face severe challenges to follow the suggested hygiene protocols to stop the virus. They are also in dire economic struggles because of the restrictions the government has dictated to prevent further contagion. Peru’s workforce informality rate is around 70%. These are people that get by on whatever money they get on a daily basis. Without their income, they have to manage to get food, cleaning and safety products, on an inflated market due to speculation.
This project has two objectives. On a short term, related to the current local state of affairs, to document the struggles and precarious solutions that the most affected population is finding to survive the emergency. For this, I will focus on the most water-deprived communities. On a long term, to make a wide collection of stories that highlight the problem of limited water access as one of the most important issues that both Peru and the global community have to face.
Difficulty in water water access renders vulnerable communities defenseless against a high risk situation like the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to UN data, Peru is amongst the 20 countries with more water resources, yet the reality is that between 7 and 8 million people (almost a third of the country’s population) have no drinking water or sewage services. Lima is the second biggest capital city located in a desert and rain amounts to just 9 mm per year. The Rímac river is its main water source (74.5%) but is also one of the most polluted watersheds in Peru.
Due to internal migration, the city grew outwards from the river, into even more arid zones. Entire communities settled in sand dunes, where they obtain water through tank trucks, paying sometimes double or triple the average local price.
This situation has rapidly worsened due to the global COVID-19 emergency and the local measures to prevent its spread. Most people face severe challenges to follow the suggested hygiene protocols to stop the virus. They are also in dire economic struggles because of the restrictions the government has dictated to prevent further contagion. Peru’s workforce informality rate is around 70%. These are people that get by on whatever money they get on a daily basis. Without their income, they have to manage to get food, cleaning and safety products, on an inflated market due to speculation.
This project has two objectives. On a short term, related to the current local state of affairs, to document the struggles and precarious solutions that the most affected population is finding to survive the emergency. For this, I will focus on the most water-deprived communities. On a long term, to make a wide collection of stories that highlight the problem of limited water access as one of the most important issues that both Peru and the global community have to face.
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