WILMER

00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:09,500

We are here at Vallunaraju to take

snow samples for Black Carbon analysis.

WILMER

00:00:09,593 --> 00:00:15,993

The first thing we do is with a digital

thermometer, we measure the temperature

WILMER

00:00:16,058 --> 00:00:22,158

of the surface snow, at this moment it

is close to 0° degrees, which is favorable,

WILMER

00:00:22,231 --> 00:00:30,731

the warmer this surface snow is the faster

it will melt; after that, what we do is the

WILMER

00:00:30,755 --> 00:00:38,355

evaluation process of the size and type

of snow as we can see here is granulometric

WILMER

00:00:38,413 --> 00:00:45,213

type of snow, we mark an area about 8 to 10

centimeters to collect the subsurface snow.

WILMER
00:00:45,237 --> 00:00:53,237

These two samples indicate: the snow

representative of 30 days ago, then there is the

WILMER

00:00:53,262 --> 00:00:56,262

condition of the weather and

the deposition of black carbon.

WILMER

00:00:56,265 --> 00:01:02,065

Already in the camp what is done is to melt

these snow samples to be filtered later,

WILMER

00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:08,680

as the liquid water passes through this

filter all the impurities are retained, the

WILMER

00:01:08,777 --> 00:01:16,453

filters, the dark particles are already

accumulated; the difference in coloration

WILMER

00:01:16,535 --> 00:01:23,799

is remarkable, the lighter, whiter filters

represent the wet season when more

WILMER

00:01:23,834 --> 00:01:28,926

recent snow falls and there is not much

deposition of Black Carbon but when one

WILMER

00:01:28,964 --> 00:01:35,568

filters this snow finally remains like this,

trapping all this amount of contamination,

WILMER

00:01:35,596 --> 00:01:36,116

of impurities.

CAKE

00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,236

My name is Juan Carlos Chae Fernandez,

I am an illustrator and people know

CAKE

00:02:07,294 --> 00:02:12,214

me as Cake. What are glaciers for me?

Well, glaciers for me are like an artistic

CAKE

00:02:12,257 --> 00:02:15,277

expression of nature, they are incredible

since they have always been there, they

CAKE

00:02:15,302 --> 00:02:21,314

are very difficult to find because they

are not in all the mountains and I consider

CAKE

00:02:21,366 --> 00:02:26,486

that they are the last water reserve we

have in the world because global warming

CAKE

00:02:26,546 --> 00:02:32,114

is putting us in trouble right now, leaving

us without water, polluting several things,

CAKE

00:02:32,159 --> 00:02:36,159

people pollute a lot, we are accelerating

the process of deglaciation and surely in

CAKE

00:02:36,239 --> 00:02:39,039

a few years all the glaciers will be extinct.

CAKE

00:02:44,247 --> 00:02:48,239

So we went to the place that has more

than 60% of the glaciers in Peru and of

CAKE

00:02:48,293 --> 00:02:53,513

which have lost more than 40% of their

ice, this means that in the year 2100 all

CAKE
00:02:53,548 --> 00:02:57,796

these glaciers will disappear. In these

lands sculpted in glaciers we find a large

CAKE

00:02:57,803 --> 00:03:03,351

network of conflicts, economic interests,

concerns, self-determination and a lot of

CAKE

00:03:03,392 --> 00:03:08,836

hope. Ancash has had 3 governors in

the last 2 years losing each one to

CAKE

00:03:08,897 --> 00:03:14,653

corruption charges; the per capita income

is around 4000 dollars a year and 94%

CAKE

00:03:14,736 --> 00:03:17,980

of the rural population does not have

immediate access to potable water.

CAKE

00:03:18,073 --> 00:03:21,673

Our first stop is between the Cordillera

Blanca and the Cordillera Negra and

CAKE

00:03:21,743 --> 00:03:26,043

below the largest glacial lake in Ancash,

Laguna Paron. The first person we

CAKE

00:03:26,081 --> 00:03:29,337

interviewed has been a guide in the

Cordillera Blanca for most of his life while

CAKE

00:03:29,418 --> 00:03:31,184

being a key employee for the town.

GUIDE

00:03:32,211 --> 00:03:40,047

Our symbiosis with nature has changed

a lot, for example, this is our main

GUIDE

00:03:40,095 --> 00:03:46,651

watershed is the watershed that gives

life to the city, the countryside and the

GUIDE

00:03:46,727 --> 00:03:55,991

community. In the last 40 - 45 years we

have had many catastrophic events in

GUIDE

00:03:56,069 --> 00:04:05,453

this basin, haven't we? The bigger problem is

the little control we have now over the

GUIDE

00:04:05,537 --> 00:04:14,017

Paron lagoon because in 1963 when the

Peruvian Corporation of Santa was

GUIDE

00:04:14,045 --> 00:04:19,165

formed, they determined that Paron was

one of the biggest risks for the cities of

GUIDE

00:04:19,217 --> 00:04:24,209

the Callejon de Huaylas, if we speak honestly,

who are the owners of Paron now

GUIDE

00:04:24,239 --> 00:04:32,975

is the Cruz de Mayo community. So the

community decided since 2007 that no

GUIDE

00:04:33,064 --> 00:04:38,628

company would enter Paron, the problem

is the authorities who never know how

GUIDE

00:04:38,653 --> 00:04:44,789

to communicate well and talk honestly

with the community and the community

GUIDE

00:04:44,868 --> 00:04:51,096

also has its problems there, right? But

we are always worried about the rainy

GUIDE

00:04:51,166 --> 00:04:56,350

seasons because when it rains a lot, if

there is an earthquake or a rockslide, an

GUIDE

00:05:00,175 --> 00:05:04,303

alluvium would definitely

wipe out the entire basin.

CAKE

00:05:06,204 --> 00:05:10,176

We found out about the problems facing

Paron due to climate change and how

CAKE

00:05:10,227 --> 00:05:15,147

the city of Caraz has begun to adapt, then

interviewed the current mayor of Caraz

CAKE

00:05:15,190 --> 00:05:18,590

to get his perspective on Paron and how

he manages the balance of relations

CAKE
00:05:18,610 --> 00:05:20,942

between the Cruz de Mayo community

and the Regional Government.

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:05:22,487 --> 00:05:27,607

Well, for us Paron means life, but it also

means hope for the future which should

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:05:30,497 --> 00:05:35,617

be reflected by improving the quality of

life of the population. We in Paron are

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:05:35,877 --> 00:05:42,777

asking for an early warning system as

well as the construction of a natural

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:05:42,843 --> 00:05:47,899

drainage outlet in order to regulate the

amount of water that is accumulating in

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:05:48,890 --> 00:05:54,074

the Paron lagoon, yes, we understand that

the public function of us is to work for

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:05:54,396 --> 00:05:59,988

the community interpreting the needs of

the community and be an entity of gear

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:00,085 --> 00:06:03,109

between the regional government and

the central government and the

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:03,113 --> 00:06:08,905

community, which is why we have bet

first for a pacification, unfortunately as

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:08,952 --> 00:06:13,124

there were certain social problems then

it has been left still on standby.

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:13,164 --> 00:06:18,156

Controlling the amount of water, since

due to deglaciation it sometimes rises;

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,124

well, the image they have of the community

is that so many years have passed

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:21,172 --> 00:06:24,064

and it has not been solved and they are

right, but they also have to understand

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:24,092 --> 00:06:29,512

that we have put all the necessary will,

the problem that Paron has had for more

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:29,514 --> 00:06:34,698

than 12 years with social conflicts cannot

be solved from one moment to the next.

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:34,727 --> 00:06:38,055

The community also has to contribute,

right? the community also has to do its

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:43,996

part in the decision of its leader to want

to solve this social issue first, and this is

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:44,070 --> 00:06:48,998

on track with the new leaders, we are

already reaching certain agreements that

ESTEBAN FLORENTINO

00:06:49,066 --> 00:06:50,146

they are giving in to.

CAKE

00:06:50,226 --> 00:06:53,790

Having already heard these 2 stories

makes us think about how much this lake

CAKE

00:06:53,830 --> 00:07:01,694

means to the city and the community.

The next day we set out on a mission to

CAKE

00:07:01,755 --> 00:07:04,847

see if there was indeed any danger in

Paron and why there was so much interest

CAKE

00:07:04,924 --> 00:07:19,080

in this body of water, but who better to

tell this story as we climbed the 4000

CAKE

00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,460

meters than the current stewards of

Paron, the Cruz de Mayo community.

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:23,984 --> 00:07:30,332

But we are fighting for the lagoon of

Paron, we have a fight, but it goes on, even

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:30,367 --> 00:07:34,879

if we are going to fight until death, we are

not going to leave our Paron, our Paron

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:34,913 --> 00:07:40,417

for us is life, it is for everyone; the people

of Caraz say we are going to finish the

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:40,510 --> 00:07:44,058

water of Paron, we are going to empty it

all, we are going to drain it. No, we are

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:44,089 --> 00:07:47,773

never going to leave that one, we are

going to be fighting to death for the Paron

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:47,842 --> 00:07:51,590

lagoon, it is not improving, rather they

are stealing, they say "Hey, we are going

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:51,596 --> 00:07:55,052

to improve the Paron lagoon" saying

they are entering but it is a lie, they are

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:55,058 --> 00:07:58,514

deceiving, they are deceiving those who

do not know, they are deceiving us; no,

CRUZ DE MAYO COMMUNITY MEMBER 1

00:07:58,520 --> 00:07:59,540

that is a lie.

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:02,596 --> 00:08:08,496

With the national authorities and ANA authorities

of Huaraz we are always fighting

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:08,571 --> 00:08:17,335

for our Paron Lagoon. Our lagoon has

been completely full, but now of course

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:17,430 --> 00:08:21,722

they have been draining the water and

that is why our lagoon is very low. They

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:21,793 --> 00:08:27,121

have come ENAIGEM, they have come

PCM, council of ministers, all institutions

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:27,215 --> 00:08:32,579

have come, but we are always defending

our lagoon Paron; we have been to

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:32,637 --> 00:08:37,721

enter to table of dialogue, there is

no result until the moment. The Paron lagoon

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:37,767 --> 00:08:43,903

that we have supplies the whole community

and the whole countryside and the

ESPIRITU MELENDEZ

00:08:44,357 --> 00:08:45,457

whole population of Caraz.

CAKE

00:08:46,567 --> 00:08:50,747

Whenever there is any meeting between

the community and any government

CAKE

00:08:50,754 --> 00:08:55,250

institution the air is filled with distrust, is

there any real potential for Paron to send

CAKE

00:08:55,267 --> 00:08:57,315

millions of liters of water to the population

below?

CAKE
00:09:07,589 --> 00:09:08,922

When we all finally arrive we

CAKE

00:09:08,923 --> 00:09:13,515

feel completely removed from civilization,

buildings and the chaos of the city.

CAKE

00:09:13,611 --> 00:09:19,711

We were amazed by the magnificent

crystal clear waters and the breathtaking

CAKE

00:09:19,809 --> 00:09:28,909

peaks of Huandoy, Alpamayo and Pisco;

however, we could not enjoy it because

CAKE

00:09:28,985 --> 00:09:45,325

we lost our drone, needless to say that

we started our hike that day with low spirits

CAKE

00:09:45,543 --> 00:09:53,463

and little energy. Happily, the road

around Paron is not intense at all, you can

CAKE

00:09:53,551 --> 00:09:57,371

stroll leisurely for a couple of hours and

stay to admire the lake and its white

CAKE

00:09:57,388 --> 00:09:58,922

sandy beaches with very little effort.

CAKE

00:10:01,132 --> 00:10:07,544

However, once you get past the lake things

get a little more difficult, you have to

CAKE

00:10:07,624 --> 00:10:25,672

start climbing a boulder field the altitude

increases, we made it off the ridge and

CAKE

00:10:25,767 --> 00:10:41,751

set up our tents. The only lights we

could see were the lights of the stars above

CAKE

00:10:42,475 --> 00:10:46,359

us and the light from our cell phones,

you could see the Milky Way very clear

CAKE

00:10:46,396 --> 00:10:52,132

and a flurry of stars were falling

every minute. When we got up, we

CAKE

00:10:52,193 --> 00:10:55,857

opened the tent that had been soaked

by the constant drizzle of the previous

CAKE

00:10:55,947 --> 00:11:00,239

night and a thick fog had spread over

the two peaks and that would make access

CAKE

00:11:00,285 --> 00:11:06,665

difficult; the road was getting more

and more dangerous as we went on.

CAKE

00:11:16,509 --> 00:11:20,793

But in the end we were able to overcome

our fear of falling, it would take about 3

CAKE

00:11:20,847 --> 00:11:24,695

to 5 hours to reach the frozen lake and

what mattered to us was to see if it could

CAKE

00:11:24,767 --> 00:11:26,287

collapse in Paron;

CAKE

00:11:32,275 --> 00:11:35,399

once at the top we were speechless

by the majesty of this glacier.

ALEXANDER MARTELL

00:11:40,283 --> 00:11:45,531

In this particular case, we see the Arteson

Rajo and the lagoon formation, in 2012,

ALEXANDER MARTELL

00:11:46,789 --> 00:11:51,525

2013 when I came here, the lagoon area

was approximately 12 thousand square

ALEXANDER MARTELL

00:11:52,921 --> 00:11:57,849

meters and in 2018 it had an approximate

area of 45 thousand square meters, it

ALEXANDER MARTELL

00:11:57,884 --> 00:12:03,068

is a rapid evolution, why? Because the

glacier is in contact with the lagoon which

ALEXANDER MARTELL

00:12:05,016 --> 00:12:10,980

could have an impact when this lagoon

is more developed and could generate a

ALEXANDER MARTELL

00:12:11,064 --> 00:12:16,272

surge and affect the

populations located below.

CAKE

00:12:26,246 --> 00:12:29,954

There was no doubt in our minds about

the power of Paron or the glaciers

CAKE

00:12:29,999 --> 00:12:34,991

surrounding it, its history of risk,

destruction and imminent crisis is common

CAKE

00:12:35,087 --> 00:12:38,551

throughout the Cordillera Blanca; we

went to see what would happen if action

CAKE

00:12:38,633 --> 00:12:43,753

was not taken. In 1970 a 7.9 earthquake

hit the city of Ancash and a part of the

CAKE

00:12:44,264 --> 00:12:45,797

northern peak of Huascaran fell.

JESUS

00:12:45,848 --> 00:12:51,912

Jesus Alejandro Flores Figueroa, I am

here from Yungay son of a survivor, my

JESUS

00:12:51,938 --> 00:12:56,930

dad saved at 14 years old from the

worst misfortune that the people of Yungay

JESUS

00:12:57,193 --> 00:13:05,309

suffered. he told me it was May 31st,

Sunday May 31st, 1970; 3:23 in the

JESUS

00:13:05,368 --> 00:13:08,996

afternoon, by 3:25 Yungay

was disappeared, after 30 seconds that

JESUS

00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:15,696

the earthquake occurred Huascaran

detaches and they come to run to the

JESUS

00:13:15,728 --> 00:13:17,395

Monumental Christ and they came to save.

INHABITANT

00:13:25,096 --> 00:13:29,844

At the foot of the Huascaran there is a

lagoon, that lagoon is called the Hualcan

INHABITANT

00:13:29,934 --> 00:13:36,882

lagoon, the block falling on that lagoon

will cause it to overflow and produce the

INHABITANT

00:13:36,941 --> 00:13:41,857

avalanche and that is where the town

of Yungay could disappear again.

CAKE

00:13:42,963 --> 00:13:47,883

Then we went one hour south on this

glacier road to this capital city of Ancash,

CAKE

00:13:47,910 --> 00:13:48,430

Huaraz;

CAKE

00:13:58,087 --> 00:14:02,759

the first person we met with was Bram

Leo from the National Institute for

CAKE

00:14:02,841 --> 00:14:03,908

Glacier and Mountain Ecosystem Research.

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:04,635 --> 00:14:09,947

INAIGEM is one of the 4 public research

institutes that are attached to the Ministry

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:10,475 --> 00:14:15,339

of Environment, in general the glaciers

in Peru have lost about 50% of their

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:15,897 --> 00:14:25,281

surface and this retreat is directly linked to

climate change, climate change one

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:25,323 --> 00:14:30,571

of the effects is that the temperature increases

and therefore melting much faster

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:30,611 --> 00:14:38,287

so it melts faster than it is recharged.

There is also the problem of putting on the

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:38,352 --> 00:14:45,892

political agenda the prioritization of this

type of work that has to be done to reduce

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:45,968 --> 00:14:51,152

the issue of vulnerability or to prepare

ourselves for climate change, right? That

BRAM WILLEMS
00:14:51,215 --> 00:14:56,335

is a reality and we do not know how it

is going to appear as we move forward, we

BRAM WILLEMS

00:14:56,729 --> 00:14:58,429

are seeing how it will appear.

CAKE

00:15:03,694 --> 00:15:06,750

Did you know that Huaraz and other

regions are now at risk of another alluvium?

INHABITANT

00:15:06,781 --> 00:15:07,781

Yes

INHABITANT

00:15:10,274 --> 00:15:11,274

Yes, always

INHABITANT

00:15:13,329 --> 00:15:18,065

The lagoon of Paron, these lagoons are

may be extravasated

INHABITANT

00:15:21,129 --> 00:15:28,085

We are on the river bank because we

had asked several times for a "containment"

INHABITANT

00:15:28,094 --> 00:15:32,034

wall to be built because we

are in danger on the river bank.

CAKE

00:15:32,098 --> 00:15:34,398

Have you ever suffered from water shortages?

INHABITANT

00:15:34,475 --> 00:15:41,059

Yes, always, until now, well, in the area

where I live on the east side I have my

INHABITANT

00:15:41,107 --> 00:15:42,007

ration in the water itself.

INHABITANT

00:15:42,024 --> 00:15:50,044

I tell you that the regional government

for now is doing almost nothing, no, we,

INHABITANT

00:15:50,074 --> 00:15:52,741

the real huaracinos, are upset.

INHABITANT

00:15:52,827 --> 00:15:58,811

For example, the river that is passing

through here is very polluted and I believe

INHABITANT

00:15:58,833 --> 00:16:04,473

that the regional government does not take

into account the cleanliness of our nature.

CAKE

00:16:04,505 --> 00:16:06,837

Is the regional government doing

anything to address this risk?

INHABITANT

00:16:06,841 --> 00:16:11,953

No, the regional government is doing

very little, the only thing they are concerned

INHABITANT

00:16:12,013 --> 00:16:13,893

about is economic profit.

INHABITANT

00:16:13,990 --> 00:16:17,730

Gentlemen, the work of the

regional government is the worst.

INHABITANT

00:16:17,768 --> 00:16:22,408

From my point of view is that no, it is not

doing something good, isn't, to be able

INHABITANT
00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,928

to face the disasters that may occur

here in our district of Huaraz

OFFICER

00:16:26,986 --> 00:16:33,306

The second danger that is already visible

is the acidification of the water, the

OFFICER

00:16:33,326 --> 00:16:41,218

Andean geology is very particular, the

glacier retreats, it is exposed and that

OFFICER

00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:46,834

produces an acidification of the water,

the water has an acidity of 4, PH 4, more

OFFICER

00:16:46,881 --> 00:16:52,649

or less 3. 5 - 4; that is water that you

cannot drink, you cannot use it for irrigation

OFFICER

00:16:52,678 --> 00:17:00,370

and that water according to the

inhabitants occurred around the 70's when this

OFFICER

00:17:00,436 --> 00:17:05,492

phenomenon appeared, that is a big problem;

for example, the city of Huaraz the

OFFICER

00:17:05,499 --> 00:17:10,747

only source of water that practically uses

is the Palcacocha lagoon, but the other

OFFICER

00:17:10,812 --> 00:17:15,424

lagoons that are next to it are already

acidic and there is a probability that this

OFFICER

00:17:15,451 --> 00:17:20,827

lagoon will also acidify, so if those waters

acidify well, the city of Huaraz will be

OFFICER

00:17:20,915 --> 00:17:22,748

left without water,

that is a problem.

CAKE

00:17:28,464 --> 00:17:32,320

We spoke with several people who witnessed

this change first hand and saw their

CAKE

00:17:32,343 --> 00:17:37,863

crops die and their animals begin to drink

acidic water. Most people imagine that

CAKE

00:17:37,932 --> 00:17:42,532

they can drink the water from the glaciers,

it is supposed to be the purest water

CAKE

00:17:42,562 --> 00:17:45,846

you can drink, but the closer you get

to these lakes and rivers in the Cordillera

CAKE

00:17:45,898 --> 00:17:49,410

Blanca the reality of how

polluted they are becomes clear.

JENNY MENACHO

00:18:10,047 --> 00:18:15,111

The acid rock drainage that is a phenomenon

due to glacial retreat obviously

JENNY MENACHO

00:18:15,136 --> 00:18:20,992

affects the life of many species of natural

ecosystems, plants and even animals,

JENNY MENACHO

00:18:21,091 --> 00:18:28,367

so I see that people are aware that the

water is tasteless because it is acidic, the

JENNY MENACHO

00:18:28,441 --> 00:18:33,725

population has taken their own initiatives

to find other water sources to consume

JENNY MENACHO

00:18:33,779 --> 00:18:39,571

good water that they have done on

their own and there is still no authority or

JENNY MENACHO

00:18:39,619 --> 00:18:45,315

health and effectively study whether the populations

have that composition in their body.

VICENTE GONZALEZ

00:19:05,102 --> 00:19:10,366

We have been the local agricultural

research committee where we have come to

VICENTE GONZALEZ

00:19:10,441 --> 00:19:16,605

investigate our water, pasture and

ourselves; what we are seeing in our town

VICENTE GONZALEZ

00:19:16,656 --> 00:19:22,040

here. There are minerals there but they

are not exploited, there is cadmium, lead

VICENTE GONZALEZ

00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,491

that is in this water that comes from the creek.

CAKE

00:19:24,538 --> 00:19:27,605

Where is the Mountain Institute working?

VICENTE GONZALEZ

00:19:27,625 --> 00:19:34,689

They came to see what we are doing

wrong, and they came to train us, to see,

VICENTE GONZALEZ

00:19:34,715 --> 00:19:40,763

looking for a solution to the situation,

they started to work to bioremediate this

VICENTE GONZALEZ

00:19:40,805 --> 00:19:42,571

water with the Mountain Institute.

CAKE

00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:49,260

Better known as bioremediation, using

gravity and canals they diverted the water

CAKE

00:19:49,313 --> 00:19:54,689

from the polluted rivers to pass through

a well filled with aquatic plants that look

CAKE

00:19:54,700 --> 00:19:57,612

like algae, the plants purify the polluted

water and the toxic minerals get trapped

CAKE

00:19:57,655 --> 00:20:01,939

in their roots and stay at the bottom of

the water, the water comes out clean and

CAKE

00:20:01,951 --> 00:20:06,915

is ready to be used by the community;

We were brought to see a small example

CAKE

00:20:06,956 --> 00:20:11,568

by one of the locals, he was excited to explain

how they store their water reserves

CAKE

00:20:11,585 --> 00:20:16,477

for the rainy season in the small ponds

above the community and the possibility

CAKE

00:20:16,549 --> 00:20:18,049

of extending their biological remedies.

MACEDONO CCALCA
00:20:18,050 --> 00:20:25,934

There are long plans in the same river channel

and there I observed and said that

MACEDONO CCALCA

00:20:25,975 --> 00:20:31,975

we can make a lagoon; about 40 - 50

meters and we have planted cattails and

MACEDONO CCALCA

00:20:32,022 --> 00:20:39,162

there all the rust sticks to the surrounding

area so that it will also remain. Because

MACEDONO CCALCA

00:20:39,196 --> 00:20:54,536

in a deeper well the water weighs like

the sea, just like the rust when it weighs, it

MACEDONO CCALCA

00:20:54,587 --> 00:21:02,563

sticks more. It has to be full to reach

Conal and in particular to reach the town of

MACEDONO CCALCA

00:21:02,636 --> 00:21:11,076

Canrey Chico; before all the pampa was

ice, now it is only at the tip, half of it has

MACEDONO CCALCA

00:21:11,145 --> 00:21:16,673

disappeared, in 50 years, 100 years

from now there will not be any, zero, and

MACEDONO CCALCA

00:21:16,692 --> 00:21:19,992

those of us who use water?

where do we live?

CAKE

00:21:26,452 --> 00:21:30,508

Still, despite being in desperate times

there is no help from local or regional

CAKE

00:21:30,581 --> 00:21:34,673

authorities, humanity can become

creative and start using ancestral knowledge,

CAKE

00:21:34,752 --> 00:21:39,896

times when we did not have a deep

connection with our environment, have

CAKE

00:21:39,924 --> 00:21:43,804

received some small help from NGOs

but have been completely ignored by

CAKE

00:21:43,903 --> 00:21:48,351

regional governments in the last 30 years,

they still lack resources to update and

CAKE

00:21:48,432 --> 00:21:52,824

improve the systems they installed;

The same type of neglect is happening as a

CAKE

00:21:52,895 --> 00:21:58,423

growing problem in the Andes has only

been limited by INEIGEM and this is the

CAKE

00:21:58,442 --> 00:22:03,162

best example of human impact to

disappear glaciers, this problem is better known

CAKE

00:22:03,239 --> 00:22:04,019

as black carbon.

CAKE

00:22:04,073 --> 00:22:09,309

We met with the leading expert on this

phenomenon named Wilmer Santiago, he

CAKE

00:22:09,328 --> 00:22:13,692

took us to the glacier that he has

been going to for the last 5 years called

CAKE

00:22:13,749 --> 00:22:17,369

Vallunaraju and it is where he has noticed

a mysterious black substance that has

CAKE

00:22:17,419 --> 00:22:21,175

appeared on the top of the ice and the

constant growth of a lagoon at its base".

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:22:35,563 --> 00:22:41,683

This is the Vallunaraju glacier a little

over a year ago we conducted a research

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:22:41,694 --> 00:22:47,994

study here to take snow samples to determine

the degree of contamination by

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:22:48,075 --> 00:22:56,043

black carbon, which is a type of air

pollutant produced by forest fires, the car fleet,

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:22:56,141 --> 00:23:03,989

rural kitchens, the results more or less

indicate that the black carbon comes from

WILMER SANCHEZ
00:23:04,008 --> 00:23:11,872

the city of Huaraz; In a short time I

have seen a notable change here in the

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:11,932 --> 00:23:18,324

Vallunaraju, just to tell you 5 years

ago where we are currently standing, the

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:18,355 --> 00:23:23,711

glacier reached and now it is behind us

with a cave there about to collapse, we

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:23,811 --> 00:23:32,255

calculate that by 2100 - 5500 there will no longer be ice,

there will no longer be this glacier.

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:32,286 --> 00:23:41,778

Well, black carbon is basically a solid

particle that has a high power of light

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:41,837 --> 00:23:47,021

absorption, when this particle is deposited

on the surface of the glacier together

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:47,051 --> 00:23:52,863

with the snow it absorbs solar radiation,

this is transmitted to the snow or ice in

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:52,932 --> 00:23:58,796

the form of heat and this accelerates

the melting of the snow or ice, right?

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:23:58,812 --> 00:24:03,996

We have to reduce the sources, for

example, the vehicle fleet with a better type,

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:24:04,735 --> 00:24:11,947

a drop in fuel, avoid or reduce forest fires,

the emission of black carbon into the

WILMER SANCHEZ

00:24:11,992 --> 00:24:15,964

atmosphere; the glaciers will thank us

for the reduction of black carbon.

CAKE

00:24:26,382 --> 00:24:29,274

What is happening in Ancash is like

taking a microscope of the implications of

CAKE

00:24:29,301 --> 00:24:35,749

climate change, is it part of human nature

to do nothing and live an unsustainable

CAKE

00:24:35,766 --> 00:24:43,350

life until we destroy everything around us?

Could it be that we should put all the

CAKE

00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,060

blame on our governments for acting

too late to invest in solutions because they

CAKE

00:24:47,111 --> 00:24:52,067

only care about getting rich? What

many forget is that there is a third option,

CAKE

00:24:52,074 --> 00:24:57,894

collective action. The Cruz de Mayo

community took this path after getting tired

CAKE

00:24:57,913 --> 00:25:00,621

of seeing the National Park authorities

in conjunction with the regional

CAKE

00:25:00,666 --> 00:25:05,522

government exploit Paron's water for

years, in the fight against climate change

CAKE

00:25:05,587 --> 00:25:11,879

those who control its resources control

its destiny, but there is no doubt how

CAKE

00:25:11,969 --> 00:25:20,797

important Paron is to their identity and

we were able to witness their annual

CAKE

00:25:20,853 --> 00:25:23,193

celebration of land recuperation,

the payment for the water.

INHABITANT

00:26:04,354 --> 00:26:10,410

Chillinico, the wise Antonio Raimondi in his

walk through Callejon de Huaylas of

INHABITANT

00:26:10,486 --> 00:26:16,506

Peru and the World, the Peruvians were

sitting on a golden bench that, they want to

INHABITANT

00:26:16,533 --> 00:26:23,209

take the water for their industrialists and

others and in return not even a tree have

INHABITANT

00:26:23,307 --> 00:26:24,307

planted so I want to witness the majority

we are so much struggle of 13 years,

INHABITANT

00:26:32,174 --> 00:26:37,230

We are about to install the dialogue table

and it is more the 540 hectares where

INHABITANT

00:26:40,057 --> 00:26:44,921

the lagoon impact of the snowy is in the

name of a transnational company Duke

INHABITANT

00:26:44,995 --> 00:26:51,959

Energy is the name, on February 3th, 2010

reverted to the State to pure social

INHABITANT

00:26:52,027 --> 00:26:58,611

pressure, for them the lagoon is not of a

private company is of all the Caracinos,

INHABITANT

00:26:58,700 --> 00:27:03,948

of the villagers, of the Peruvians today

declared as heritage of humanity; they are

INHABITANT
00:27:06,625 --> 00:27:11,981

intangible reserves of the biosphere

and therefore we must love it, love it and

INHABITANT

00:27:12,005 --> 00:27:16,241

take care of it. And I want to emphasize

to the community members to never

INHABITANT

00:27:16,267 --> 00:27:17,407

lower their guard.

CAKE

00:27:59,052 --> 00:28:02,872

Projecting 20 years ahead and thinking

that the snow-capped mountains will still

CAKE

00:28:02,931 --> 00:28:08,387

be there, but most probably not because

of what is happening and because little

CAKE

00:28:08,437 --> 00:28:14,113

by little they are running out, right? they

are melting and it is something that even

CAKE

00:28:14,192 --> 00:28:18,132

if people do not pollute it is a natural process

that will happen, but more beautiful

CAKE

00:28:18,197 --> 00:28:21,245

than all that is to know that the future

does not exist, then we can manage it and

CAKE

00:28:21,325 --> 00:28:26,973

we can extend the time gap until the snow

-capped mountains melt. I think it is the

CAKE

00:28:27,072 --> 00:28:32,576

perfect time to look for the glaciers

because in the future they will not be there for

CAKE

00:28:32,652 --> 00:28:35,992

us to look for them, so it would be the

voice that the whole city, all the people who

CAKE

00:28:36,048 --> 00:28:40,468

live, who are in their community start

to travel looking for them and preserving

CAKE

00:28:40,552 --> 00:28:47,964

them and it is the source of water of the

future so if we look for it now we will be

CAKE

00:28:48,018 --> 00:28:53,730

able to give a solution to this, we will be

able to delay the melting and we will be

CAKE

00:28:53,749 --> 00:28:59,761

able to have much better water in the future

and all the people who live just below

CAKE

00:28:59,821 --> 00:29:01,593

the snow-capped mountains will be very grateful.