By Libera Lang
The Cuenca Sana-Comunidad Sana (CSCS) project of the Salvemos el Río Laja group promotes action in rural communities to recover and stabilize environmental, nutritional, and economic resources. This effort requires a profound change in habits and culture and should produce a real change for our present and future well-being. The pillars of this program are sustainable actions, a new relationship with nature, and an awareness of specific tasks relative to climate change. The community-generated project requires a clear vision and a strong will to achieve another type of coexistence with nature.
Alliances, innovation, imagination, and creativity bring certainty, trust, and well-being to families, even in times of a contingency and vulnerability. Only by taking the first steps on this new path can we make progress.
Nature-based solutions are the starting point for finding and growing resilience that CSCS promotes in rural communities in three municipalities (San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, and San Felipe) in the state of Guanajuato, explains Jalil Aragón, head of CSCS. What are these solutions? First, we must be observant. Aragón notes, “Nature tells us what to do and not to do. The key is who listens to the solution. Some go for a walk and see nothing, but others observe and begin to see possible solutions. Nature can tell us that something is missing (respect), or something is left over (extraction).”
Originally the ejidatarios were the guardians of nature. They respected and maintained a balance and coexistence with the environment. “That was lost when we became producers and compulsive consumers. From coexistence we moved to extractivism. We take resources without giving anything back and without noticing the impact,” Aragón says.
He continued, “When we talk about solutions based on nature, they refer to that cooperation. It’s too late to fix everything, but at least knowing when to stop or what needs to be done is a good start. If instead of extracting everything a person remains still and observes, then he receives another message, possibly the solution. Simply not extracting is already a solution.”
“I heard that in a particular place they removed trees because they were not from the region, and they were taking water from the ground. Instead, they planted native trees. They are disconnected from the issue. I think one of the least of our problems right now is a tree taking up water,” Aragón continued.
“Some say that depending on the soil, there are plants that require more water than others. However, the habitat is not the same due to changes in temperature and seasonal cycles. Currently, everything must adapt to these changes. Humans are the only ones who want things to stay the same, taking everything they want whenever they want. When nature tells you I have no more trees to give, there will still be those who continue making tables. Instead of doing other things, they insist on doing the same thing. They don’t look for another way out,” he added.
As humans we are creative, innovative, and resilient as long as we learn to let go. Nature-based solutions imply taking off the glasses of consumerism and stop seeing a tree as firewood. A tree is a living entity that is needed in the environment and accompanies us in life. In other words, it supports our life with its own life.
Despite everything, rural communities “love nature more and have more faith than urban dwellers. If you want, you can, and if you can, you want, they say. But in cities there is a lack of connection with everything that is alive, and the serious impacts that are already present are being ignored,” Aragón said.
To be continued…
