00:00For us nature is more than just a legal recognition as a legal entity it is a
00:11living being. When I arrived for the first time in Quito with my dad I saw a
00:20river that was very different from the rivers I had seen as a child in my
00:24community. One day soon, families, fathers, mothers, grandparents will go down there
00:33with their children, visit the Machangara and bathe in the river. The veins of
00:41planet Earth are called rivers and so we ask you for strength and clarity for us
00:45for the people of Quito Cara.
00:49This fight for the water of the main river that flows through Quito is a
00:55wake-up call.
00:56Can nature have rights? And who defines them?
01:05I am president of the Quito Cara people, a member of La Toxa, a poet and an
01:15anthropologist. I am DarÃo Iza Palinkinga and I want to save the Pachamama. This is my story.
01:21This singer, his voice is powerful. He's already old and he has the silhouette of a condor.
01:44Not only does he make music, he also practices medicine. Enrique Males.
02:01The university where DarÃo Iza Palinkinga works is also located in Ecuador's capital, Quito.
02:07He's the director in charge of all publications there. This university is the
02:12first in the country to focus on the knowledge of indigenous peoples and nations.
02:16It offers indigenous people opportunities for further education.
02:21It's important to him to pass on old traditions and the knowledge of his ancestors.
02:33According to the most recent census, just under eight percent of Ecuadorians describe themselves
02:39as indigenous, while 77 percent say they are of mixed origin.
02:47In 2008, a profound shift began in this country. Since then, Ecuador has been the first country
02:53to give nature its own rights in its constitution. Other countries followed suit.
02:59Bolivia has also enshrined the rights of nature in its constitution.
03:03India has recognized its sacred rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna, as legal entities.
03:10And in 2022 in Europe, Spain's Mar Menor was declared the first ecosystem to be granted legal person status.
03:20Ecuador's achievements have helped the world understand nature in a new way.
03:33I believe that Ecuador is a benchmark for the rights of nature.
03:38The Machangara River is an example of this, especially because it flows through the capital.
03:45In a country.
03:48Enforcing the rights of the river and taking legal action on its behalf also requires help from others.
03:58Blanca Rios Tuma is a scientist who has been researching the Machangara River for over 20 years.
04:03Her data and knowledge are important for court proceedings.
04:06They wear masks because the river is so polluted. It poses a health risk.
04:15In some sections, the water contains just 2% oxygen, even though regulations to protect aquatic life require at least 80%.
04:23Here you can see this waterfall coming from the industrial area over there.
04:28This is industrial wastewater that flows directly into the river, without any real treatment or purification.
04:35The wastewater enters the river, and at this point it's basically a complete sewer, full of foam.
04:42The water here is also full of oils, fats and other hazards.
04:57The fecal coliform bacteria were above the standard, which means that the river exceeds the permissible value for sewage systems. Imagine that!
05:1326 types of viruses were detected in the river.
05:20They are associated with various diseases in humans and animals.
05:25The water samples and the studies conducted by the universities were decisive factors in the court proceedings.
05:31In May 2024, the Quito-Kara people, social movements and scientists sued the city of Quito.
05:48In July 2024, they won the case.
05:51The court ordered the city to come up with a plan and allocate necessary financial resources to clean up the river.
05:58It was a happy moment.
06:04But the city of Quito appealed the decision.
06:06An ex-member of the Constitutional Court, Ramiro Avila, is now a lawyer.
06:11He was the one who first invited Dario Iza to join this case.
06:15I think there has already been an important response, not only on the political level, but also among civil society and the media who are monitoring the situation.
06:28But I believe that there will be some political problems in enforcing the ruling.
06:33This requires control over the companies that are polluting the river.
06:40And that requires the city administration to exercise all its power and sanctions, which I hope it will now do.
06:49It requires political will, investment and planning.
06:52It is difficult to control this through the justice system alone.
07:04The challenges are enormous.
07:06But examples from around the world show that wastewater disposal does not have to be very expensive.
07:12Innovative solutions are possible.
07:15In Bangalore, India, decentralised sewage treatment plants are in use that purify water where the pollution occurs, such as in residential areas.
07:24Ecuador itself provides an example in Cuenca.
07:30Sewage treatment plants and awareness raising among the region's population have significantly improved water quality.
07:38For Dario Iza and the Kitukara people, life on earth cannot be viewed in isolation.
07:53Dario Iza and the Kitukara people, life on earth cannot be viewed in isolation.
08:03This also has a lot to do with the moon, especially the waxing moon phase.
08:07This allows the plants whose fruits grow above the ground to germinate.
08:19Now we prepare the soil, remove weeds and loosen the earth.
08:23We apply what our grandparents taught us.
08:26And that's not just talk, but rather a deep knowledge of the signs of the influence of the moon on seeds and the life of trees and plants.
08:36When I work the soil, I feel good. It calms me down.
08:48When sowing, I often work barefoot. The soil is looser and there are no more branches in it.
09:06As I say in a poem, as long as we are guardians of the seed, we have the opportunity to end world hunger together.
09:15Since 2008, 40 countries and territories have already recognized the rights of nature.
09:29In most cases, it was indigenous communities who were the first to campaign for this.
09:41A start has also been made on the Machangara River.
09:45The city and its residents recently began cleaning up the river.
09:50Mother Earth, in you we are.
09:56In you we breathe from the thirst of the Abuelo Viento.
09:59In you the seed disappears with the blessed gift of water.
10:02In you we bring us with every fire that embraces the hug of the Abuelo.
10:07In you we live from the Abuelo Viento.
10:09In you we live from the Abuelo Viento.
10:11In you we live from the Abuelo Viento.
10:13From the Old Saint Premier.
10:15In you we live from the Abuelo Viento.
10:17If you are a loyal citizen, it is to SmallMus늬.
10:19In the action is wine water.
10:20In a strange obesity in the air with its own thighs.
10:23We are feeding on freely but be 뿌�oundingmundẫn
10:25The people don't need to be
10:40exploration with quietness.
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