During our time in Amando
Lopez, we had the opportunity to gain a first-hand perspective on the lives of
those living in cooperative communities in the Bajo Lempa and develop a greater
understanding of issues in the region. On Wednesday, March 26th, we
travelled the short distance from the homes of our host families to another cooperative
community on the coast: La Tirana. Our morning began by taking a short journey in
canoes through the waters of the mangrove forest. The saline waters of the
mangroves allow for a particularly diverse marine ecosystem in the region,
designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere reserve and RAMSAR site, a wetland of international
importance. Despite these international designations, local communities are
concerned that these will not provide protection from overdevelopment, but
simply help market the location for tourism projects. Overdevelopment from
tourism is arguably the biggest threat to the survival of this incredible ecosystem,
with international investment projects that look set overwhelm large areas of the
forest. Our guide from La Tirana explained his fears that the Millennium
Challenge Corporation grant of $284 million would pave the way for massive
scale hotels, resorts and infrastructure projects. Additionally, he explained
that the Vice President Elect of the FMLN had purchased large areas of
waterfront public land, prime for development along the coast. Upon hearing
this, I was quite shocked at the possibility of politicians setting a policy
agenda that would allow them to reap massive personal gains at the expense of natural
resources and the Salvadorian people. This level of political corruption would also
set a disconcerting precedent for all areas of domestic policy in the upcoming
term of the FMLN party. While eco-tourism projects have the potential to help
develop the nation’s economy and lift thousands out of poverty, they must be
implemented in an appropriate manner that meets the demands of the Salvadorian
people, as opposed to a small number of politicians.
After our short trip through
the waters of the forest, we took a journey through the trees towards the beach
at the edge of the forest. After some difficulty making our way through the
trees, we finally reached the Pacific Ocean and the eerie sight of rows of
decaying mangrove trees at the waterfront. We soon learned that tourism does
not represent the only threat to the mangroves; climate change and natural
disasters have also caused massive habitat destruction in recent years. In particular,
hurricanes Stan and Mitch caused significant flooding in the region, destabilizing
the balance of fresh and salt water in the forest and leading to the death of
flora and fauna. As we made our way along the beach, I was struck by the very
real threat presented to the communities of La Tirana who depend on the mangroves
for their entire livelihoods, including providing their families with nutrition
and shelter. It seems clear that El Salvador faces a very real trade-off in
balancing the need for tourism to spur economic growth and protecting the
communities that currently depend on the mangrove forests. While the Millennium
Challenge Corporation will bring much needed infrastructure and development to
the region, it is essential that the Salvadorian government engages with the
Salvadorian people in a transparent, democratic process that takes into account
all of the relevant factors in the debate. This overwhelming challenge will
face these communities, the people and policymakers of El Salvador for many
years to come, yet our group remains optimistic that an optimal solution that promotes
economic growth and benefits the local population is possible. Reflecting on
the political issues we encountered during the course of our travels, I
realized that the issues facing policymakers El Salvador are similar to those
facing many developing nations in attempting to develop their economy in an
ethical manner, while protecting the interests of their domestic constituents.
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