Donde nacen las aguas (DNLA): building new local collective practices for the defense of a common good

MARTINEZ, LORENA; CROSA, VALERIA; TONELLO MARCELA; RAYÓ, MARÍA CECILIA

Bariloche, Rio Negro

Congreso; IAL - IPA 2022; 2022

International Association of Limnogeology e International Paleolimnology Association

The community of El Chaltén (Santa Cruz, Patagonia Argentina) is located within a water landscape and surrounded by Los Glaciares National Park (LGNP), which constitute the third world freshwater reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town´s main economic activity is tourism. In recent years, the exponential growth of these activities without planification or reinvestment, is leading to negative environmental impacts such as: degradation of water supplies and generation of a greater volume of wastewater. In this context, several stakeholders joined efforts to defend their hydro-social territory by implementing participatory strategies. “Donde Nacen Las Aguas” is a collaborative research project for monitoring surface waters in the North Zone of the Los Glaciares National Park. It is entirely led by women belonging to different organizations and institutions. The participatory process allowed getting financial support, fieldwork assistance, and laboratory analysis cooperation. DNLA´s objectives are: (a) the creation of the first environmental baseline of surface waters, (b) the definition of a participatory methodology for monitoring water quality and (c) an analysis of the current governance from a gender perspective. During the spring summer of 2021-2022, DNLA mobilized more than 30 people who sampled 80 sites over an area of approximately 850 km2. This study included the evaluation of physicochemical, microbiological, biological and isotopic parameters in different aquatic ecosystems. The systematization of the participatory approach through the project promotes the creation of inclusive and equitable citizen research practices. In this process, the diversity of knowledge about aquatic ecosystems is legitimized, valuing personal skills to strengthen collective action. In addition, informal support and solidarity networks were created to carry out the project’s objectives.