Standing knee-deep in what used to be a roaring Amazon River, 69-year-old fisherman Marciano Flores casts his net, hoping for a catch. But today, like many others, his net comes up empty 😔.
\"The drought has hit me hard,\" says Flores, a member of the Cocama Indigenous community. \"When the water's low, the fish die, so there's nothing to get.\"
This time last year, the water would have been over his head! 🌊 Now, the Amazon River is so low that Flores and his crew have to venture farther downriver, burning more fuel and time, all for fewer fish. It's a struggle that's becoming all too common among Colombia's Indigenous communities.
The extreme drought is not just drying up rivers; it's drying up livelihoods. Communities that have depended on the river for generations are now facing challenges they've never seen before. Climate change? El Niño? Whatever the cause, it's making waves in the wrong way 🌡️.
As fish populations dwindle, so does the hope of these hardworking people. The river that once gave life is now a symbol of their struggle. But amidst the hardships, there's resilience. Flores and others continue to fight for their way of life, hoping for the rains to return and restore balance.
Will Mother Nature hear their plea? 🙏 Only time will tell. Until then, the nets keep casting, and the spirits keep fighting.
Reference(s):
In Colombia, extreme drought falls hard on Indigenous communities
cgtn.com
