Restoring Our Relationship to Water Through Traditional Knowledge with Boris Ochoa-Tocachi

Water security. Water quality. Access to water. The threat of water privatization. Our relationship to water and how we value it. Ours is a future where the preciousness of water is being tested. Every drop counts. Will humanity act as if water is a gift rather than as an entitlement, a “right” or an exclusive commodity to profit from? Our guest this week, Boris Ochoa-Tocachi, CEO and Senior Hydrologist of ATUK Consultoría Estratégica out of Ecuador [https://atuk.com.ec/profesionales/boris-ochoa-tocachi/], shares with us his view of creating a positive relationship with water. Water sowing and harvesting methods including: albarradas in Ecuador, sand dams in Africa, wetland management and infiltration systems in Spain and the Andes work with nature to “sow” water for storage in soils, river sands, and groundwater, making water available for harvesting during times of water scarcity. These traditional systems inherently protected and replenished watersheds thereby creating sustainable cultures, aligned with Nature. Hear Boris Ochoa-Tocachi share valuable insights on traditional knowledge and nature-based approaches to local and global water security. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/posts/boris-ochoa-on-82367338 Boris Ochoa-Tocachi is a civil engineer and a PhD and MSc in Hydrology from Imperial College in London, UK. He is the CEO of ATUK, an environmental consultancy company in Ecuador [https://atuk.com.ec/], and hydrological advisor for Forest Trends, DC, USA. He investigates the role of nature-based solutions and traditional water infrastructure and local knowledge for water security. Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth. LINKS ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4990-8429 ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Boris-Ochoa-Tocachi Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=hbB-_hwAAAAJ&hl=en Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57190878695 MORE INFO Ochoa-Tocachi BF, et al. (2019), Potential contributions of pre-Inca infiltration infrastructure to Andean water security. Nature Sustainability 2: 584–593. Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0307-1.epdf?sharing_token=ERQVk8DQIQyzIQEeCfBsAtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NtleI5LoK83AlTKkx4Q_5ufrknj0v3Gwu4McyxOPVdbnyBzKNmxoe-CvTyDUMpBaAWRygytBZ5tB7GD1lf4X5AkwTrAGQys7DcT55S1PwrIHysM9d8Sbf50AcrA5W2N0Kk8n-b6T11SG9TPWcBNUieoga9NcXJ1OHV94lkTNEtw3y0QN0zXNo5GsD-_9_L9vY%3D Ochoa-Tocachi BF & Buytaert W (2020), Ancient water harvesting practices can help solve modern problems, The Science Breaker: Science Meets Society, Vol: 06. Link: https://www.thesciencebreaker.org/breaks/earth-space/ancient-water-harvesting-practices-can-help-solve-modern-problems Eos Science News by AGU. Pre-Inca Canal System Uses Hillsides as Sponges to Store Water. By: Rachel Fritts, 30 Dec 2019. Link: https://eos.org/articles/pre-inca-canal-system-uses-hillsides-as-sponges-to-store-water BBC Future. Why Peru is reviving a pre-Incan technology for water. By: Erica Gies, 18 May 2021. Link: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210510-perus-urgent-search-for-slow-water Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt Hosted by Carry Kim Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 174 Photo credit: Erica Giles