Clean Water for Rural Honduras

Dear GlobalGiving supporters,

My name is Basilio Martínez, and I am the Project Technician for EcoLogic’s work in Honduras with the Association of Water Councils of the Southern Sector of Pico Bonito (AJAASSPIB). I am so proud to work every day in support of my community, for their improved lives and for the environment. I am grateful to you for making this work possible. In 2018, with your support we have:

• Constructed 40 gray water drains for improved wastewater disposal in communities where household waste water runs off on the surface and pools, creating pollution as well as mosquito breeding sites.
• Installed 75 fuel-efficient stoves in local communities, to reduce firewood consumption and deforestation, which negatively impacts watersheds.
• Worked with 226 agricultural producers to establish 4.3 hectares of agroforestry plots, replacing slash-and-burn agriculture with more sustainable farming practices.
• Hosted a learning exchange in November in collaboration with the Inga Foundation to share experiences with Inga edulis alley cropping in Honduras and Guatemala and provide first-hand exposure to 35 interested farmers to its benefits.
• Facilitated 16 workshops covering topics such as low-impact agricultural methods, landscape-level conservation, and cultural practices.

I also wanted to share some of the ongoing challenges we face. This year, one of the communities where I work has had significant problems with the illegal construction of a logging road close to the river that is their water source. In the beginning, the builders deceived the communities saying that they would build the road so that the environmental impact would be minimal. When construction started they reached a point where there was rock and they decided to blast it--without permits. The rubble went into the river that supplies drinking water to the Community of Tejeras. When the first rains fell the river was blocked by debris and the water was completely contaminated with soil and sediment.

To reduce this impact, AJAASSPIB and the Community of Tejeras began to build filters and stabilize the debris with dead barriers. The road builders ignored the call to stabilize the slopes and mitigate the impact of the rubble, so the community began to put up resistance until they stopped building the road...for now.

I will continue to work each day to work with and empower these communities to fight for their rights, their livelihoods, their forests, and their access to water. I hope you will join me and continue to support this critical project--your support makes a huge difference.

In solidarity,

Basilio “Chilo” Martinez

Project Technician, AJAASSPIB, Honduras