#3
March 2021
Food & Water
The 22nd of March was the world water day.
That is why, to honor the mother of all life, this week we are exploring how water affects our lives, our relationship with the creatures that live in it and what we can do to protect this vital liquid.
F R E S H S T O R I E S
"More water, new Hope"
These Senegalese farmers are now able to grow crops all year after implementing a cistern system that gives access to fresh water during the dry season.
"The lack of water meant crop and food shortages, more frequent illnesses, and insufficient incomE"
The storage systems were put in place by the FAO through their "1 million cisterns for the Sahel" program. The initiative tackles arid and semi-arid regions of five countries affected by climate shock and was inspired by "Forme Zero", a Brazilian-Government project kicked off in 2003 with the goal of tackling the country's hunger and extreme poverty.
The impact of this initiative shines stronger when accounting the proven relationship of food insecurity and political and social instability.
O peixe
Brazilian Fishermen and their unique fishing ritual
In a village in the northeast coast of Brazil, fishermen hug and pet the fish they catch. As the animal slowly dies, the men tightly hold them and show great affection towards them. The loving, strong, dominant and, almost romantic, death that was captured on video in 2016 by visual artist Jonathas de Andrade. Watch an extract of the hypnotic ceremony below, and the full documentary here.
This film has been made with a group of fishermen of Piaçabuçu and Coruripe, by the river São Francisco and the sea, Northeast of Brazil.
Tuna fishing in Spain
East Asian seaweeds thrive in Andalusia endangering local fishermen's livelihoods
Five years ago these algae were to be found in only in Japan, China and Korea. In 2015, it was detected in the Strait of Gibraltar and "within one year, R. okamurae became an invasive species with an overflowing competitive capacity and growth". The water's of the south of Spain are now infested with them, impacting
the red tuna fishing and endangering the livelihoods of the families that rely on it.
It is believed the algae reached the Spanish coastline through the importation of Japanese Oysters. The weed is taking over the natural habitat and outgrowing the local seaweeds, "We cannot rely on the herbivores to consume their way out of this issue because ... chemicals within the algae actually suppress hunger of the local herbivores".
This half an hour documentary explores the issue in a close and personal lens.
P E O P L E
Jacob Colvin, The ocean Guy
Through his online platforms, Jacob shows how he removes invasive parasites from shrimps that he finds on his visits to the beach. His videos are a fine balance between gruesome and satisfying. Watch them on Jacob's Instagram and YouTube
W H A T Y O U C A N D O
13 ways you can save water at home
To conclude this week's newsletter, we want to make you think how you can look after water from your home.
Here are 13 ways you can do it, the most important probably being "don't support water grabbers", which it what happens when big corporations and investors buy foreign land and the fresh water perks that come with it.
Have a sweet week and see you next Monday!
In the meanwhile, you can