Battling Drought: Protecting Colombia and Ecuador's Paramos

Rural communities in Colombia and Ecuador are fighting to save high-altitude wetlands, known as paramos, crucial for water regulation amid severe drought due to El Nino and climate change. Grassroots efforts, supported by international groups, focus on restoring native vegetation to conserve and release water efficiently.

Communities in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador are mobilizing to safeguard fragile high-altitude wetlands crucial for water management. With both nations hit by severe water and energy rationing, these efforts come as a solution to drought caused by El Nino, compounded by climate change and human activities.

Hydroelectricity, a key energy source in Colombia and Ecuador, has been severely impacted. Grassroots activists, backed by organizations like Conservation International, are working tirelessly to protect the paramos and their ecosystems, which play a vital role in absorbing and releasing rainwater, ensuring water availability.

These conservation efforts highlight the importance of natural ecosystems in combating climate change and securing water resources. Local communities, with international support, are taking actionable steps to restore native plant species, which act as 'water factories,' releasing captured rainwater during dry seasons to stabilize water cycles.

(With inputs from agencies.)