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Article

4 Aug 2015

Author:
Doris-Elin Salazar

The Manmade Re-Routing of a Precious River: UNIGUAJIRA Highlights Potential Risks of New Extraction Plans

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…Nuevo Espinal…is a region of dry tropical rainforest which is suffering from exceptional drought over the past few years… According to Javier Rojas, leader of Wayuu Shipia, “I get weekly reports of the deaths of at least three children.” A new study by the University of La Guajira in Riohacha, Colombia, capital of the region, has been released citing the potentially unsustainable consequences of a duplicate river that could…not function the way the present one, Arroyo Bruno, does…The water is shallow as it is, and moving the river to access more coal endangers the fragile local communities of La Guajira who rely on it as a major water source…Ultimately, the study states that the new structure is fundamentally poorly thought…They also question whether the company would burden themselves with the upkeep of potential engineering failings, which would continue being at risk of occurring well after Cerrejón’s contract expires in 2033…The decision to relocate the river threatens the local environment and puts the vulnerable people who have lived on the land for centuries in risk of continued personal loss.