Jane Hahn Photography

groundwater crisis (ongoing): el salvador

Ojo de Agua (2018) 

At dawn, surrounded by thick morning fog, women gather around a small natural spring in the mountains of Cabañas, El Salvador to wash clothes, prepare food and bathe. “When the water is really bad, I have to come as early as 3 am. But the well doesn’t produce a lot of water and when it dries up we have had problems with people fighting” says Teresa Serrano, 42. The 112 families that make up this community—like the 1.6 million other Salvadorans who also live with limited access to water—are fighting against the right wing elite over the potential commodification of the country’s remaining potable water supply. 

After decades of mismanagement coupled with the increasing effects of climate change, the majority of El Salvador's 320 rivers are heavily contaminated with waste and industrial chemicals. Additionally, a high level of urbanization and industrialization that took place in the 1990s led to massive deforestation, which prohibited the land from absorbing rainwater to refill underground aquifers. Today, private gated communities, shopping malls, bottling plants and sugar cane fields are reportedly able to use unlimited amounts while neighboring towns and communities have nearly no water. 

Salvadorans have been fighting for the human right to clean, potable water for over two decades with little change. Then, last month, lawmakers began discussing a law recently put forward by the right-wing ARENA party that would place the country’s water management into the hands of those who have the private sectors’ interest at heart. “The state continues to sign and agree to international trade laws to protect economic development and not humanitarian development” says activist Sonia Sanchez. Real estate developers, sugar cane processing plants, and companies such as Coca-Cola, SABMiller, and Jumex, dominate the economy and are given priority by officials for water consumption.  

The majority of those impacted in the water crisis are women, who not only care for the family when they fall ill from contaminated water but must also travel to the water source when they supply runs out. Women are also at risk in areas like the small communities in San Julian, an area dominated by sugarcane plantations. They lie between rival gangs where lone women by the river are exposed to sexual violence and exploitation by local members. “I use water from the wells to do my household chores, but now we have less and less water and we are forced to go down to the river which is very far away. We are alone so any gang member can show up, ask us for money, kill us, rape us or disappear us. And it’s also a danger for the children who come with us.” said a woman who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons. 

When reservoirs run empty during the dry season and water truck expenses are too high, many women must travel to the river to wash dishes and clothes. “There hasn’t been enough rain to collect water in eight days. It’s been very bad. We wish we had water from a faucet.” says Priscilla Perez, 32, and mother of four living in Nejapa, a city that is situated over one of the country’s largest aquifers but is also home to major bottling plants. Rural neighborhoods have been supplying themselves with water for years, even though many still pay water bills. 

Recently, these grassroots movements helped El Salvador become the first country in the world to ban metal mining to preserve their diminishing water supply. With the help of the Catholic Church, Salvadorans pressured the government to place water before gold. Activists see the win as encouraging but say the fight against the privatization of water will be harder because the state intends to choose economic interests over humanitarian ones. “Political parties can’t guarantee that they want to work for the people. They have their own interests and sometimes those interests don’t protect people” says activist Sonia Sanchez. “There’s no balance between human rights and economic rights.” 

(This report was possible with the support from the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF)  

Adelante Fellowship  

  • A girl washes her hair at a community well at dawn in a small community in Cabañas, El Salvador in June, 2018. Most people in this community of 112 families, have no access to running water and must come to the local well as early as 2am during the dry season for water. Even though politicians make promises during election season, the community has yet to see any change in their situation. Many have built make shift plumbing systems between homes to distribute water but most use rain water and community wells.
  • Cabañas, El Salvador- Maria Alejandrino, 34, (c) Teresa Serrano, 42, (l) a small community in Cabañas, El Salvador June 2018. Alejandrino and Serrano, like most people in their community of 112 families, has no access to running water and must come to the local well as early as 2am during the dry season for water. Even though politicians make promises during election season, the community has yet to see any change in their situation. Many have built make shift plumbing systems between homes to distribute water but most use rain water and community wells.(Jane Hahn)
  • Nejapa, El Salvador- Priscilla Perez, 32, with her niece Aixa Ortiz, 9, make lunch at their home in San Jeronimo Los Planes, Nejapa, El Salvador June 2018. Water is collected during the rainy season in the communal tank and sold for 10 cents a jug during the dry season, money raised is used to fund water trucks once the tank runs dry (usually the tank only lasts for two months into the dry season). Unfortunately the roof was lost during a recent hurricane and very little water has been collected since, worrying the Perez family. Nejapa is not only home to a number of bottling plants including Coca Cola and Lactolac, it also lies above one of El Salvador's largest aquifers, feeding neighboring communities and much of San Salvador.The San Antonio River, once a main source of water for Nejapa, has been contaminated by the waste produced by industrial bottling plants since their arrival in 1996. Bio filtration systems were installed but have been broken since 2006. (Jane Hahn)
  • Nejapa, El Salvador- Zoila Ramirez, 40, carries a jug of water to her home in San Jeronimo Los Planes, Nejapa, El Salvador June 2018. Water is collected during the rainy season in the communal tank and sold for 10 cents a jug during the dry season, money raised is used to fund water trucks once the tank runs dry (usually the tank only lasts for two months into the dry season). Unfortunately the roof was lost during a recent hurricane and very little water has been collected since, worrying the Perez family. Nejapa is not only home to a number of bottling plants including Coca Cola and Lactolac, it also lies above one of El Salvador's largest aquifers, feeding neighboring communities and much of San Salvador.The San Antonio River, once a main source of water for Nejapa, has been contaminated by the waste produced by industrial bottling plants since their arrival in 1996. Bio filtration systems were installed but have been broken since 2006.  (Jane Hahn)
  • San Salvador, El Salvador- General Manager of Grupo Roble, Rafael Menéndez, Vice President of El Salvador, Óscar Ortiz, and President of ANDA (National Administration of Aqueducts and Sewers), Felipe Rivas stand outside the Vista Tower construction site in San Salvador, El Salvador, June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Salvador, El Salvador- General Manager of Grupo Roble, Rafael Menéndez, Vice President of El Salvador, Óscar Ortiz, and President of ANDA (National Administration of Aqueducts and Sewers), Felipe Rivas look over blueprints to the Vista Tower construction site in San Salvador, El Salvador June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Salvador, El Salvador- Marcella looks over the make shift wall outside her home in the San Antonio neighborhood where 28 houses (70 people) love without water,of San Salvador, El Salvador June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Julian, El Salvador- Construction for the Acrópolis Sonsonate residence, a project of the Salazar Romero construction company, has been halted due to the contamination of water sources the 700 home residence and shopping center would cause to the 2000 people in neighboring communities who rely on the Rio Ceniza and Rio Quequeiquillo Rivers, in San Julian, El Salvador June 2018. Not only will the residence have a negative impact on local environment, Mayan ruins were also found at the site during construction emphasizing the need to protect the natural resources and preserve culture. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Julian, El Salvador- Children play on the soccer field outside the Central School in San Julian, El Salvador June 2018. After many children and faculty grew ill from pesticides sprayed by plane onto the sugar cane field next to the school, the neighboring processing plant was ordered to spray by hand. Sugar cane processing plants must recycle the water they use in order to maintain environmental guidelines but according to local activists, the processing plant in San Julian pumps water directly from the river during the dry/harvesting season affecting the source and impacting their well water. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Salvador, El Salvador- Protesters gather outside the office to pressure lawmakers from approving the right wing {quote}Comprehensive Water Law{quote} in San Salvador, El Salvador June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Salvador, El Salvador- Ana Lillian Ramirez, 25, dresses her daughter Abigail Arias, 3,  in the San Antonio neighborhood where 28 houses (70 people) love without water of San Salvador, El Salvador June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Salvador, El Salvador- Carlos Melara, 45, carries jugs of water to his home in the San Antonio neighborhood where 28 houses (70 people) live without water,of San Salvador, El Salvador June 2018. During the dry season, Melara makes 12 trips to the communal water tap and four in the rainy season when they collect rain water to use for cleaning and bathing. (Jane Hahn)
  • Tanacatepeque, El Salvador- A billboard with the message {quote}No to the privatization of water{quote} along the road in Tanacatepeque, El Salvador June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • Nejapa, El Salvador- There is a recently installed well in agreement with the Lutheran Church and the Ministry of Environment to monitor the depth of water in the aquifer sitting below Nejapa which measures at 180m deep. This is part of a plan to measure major aquifers around the country in order to record water levels. Once the plan is implemented, information should be share with all communities. Nejapa is not only home to a number of bottling plants including Coca Cola and Lactolac, it also lies above one of El Salvador's largest aquifers, feeding neighboring communities and much of San Salvador.The San Antonio River, once a main source of water for Nejapa, has been contaminated by the waste produced by industrial bottling plants since their arrival in 1996. Bio filtration systems were installed but have been broken since 2006. (Jane Hahn)
  • Nejapa, El Salvador- A woman carries a bench at an outdoor cafe decorated with advertisements for Coca Cola and other local sodas in Nejapa, El Salvador June 2018. Nejapa is not only home to a number of bottling plants including Coca Cola and Lactolac, it also lies above one of El Salvador's largest aquifers, feeding neighboring communities and much of San Salvador.The San Antonio River, once a main source of water for Nejapa, has been contaminated by the waste produced by industrial bottling plants since their arrival in 1996. Bio filtration systems were installed but have been broken since 2006. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Lorenzo, El Salvador- Butterflies fly by the Rio Pampe, one of the most heavily effected areas during the Ingenio La Magdalena molasses spill in San Lorenzo, El Salvador June 2018. In May 2016, nine thousand gallons of molasses spilled into the San Lorenzo and adjoining rivers killing life in and around the river for 80km and contaminating the water supply for thousands of people. After two lawsuits and millions of dollars in fines, Ingenio La Magdalena has effectively cleaned up the disaster but the damage has taken its toll on the wildlife, esp fish, that the local communities depend so heavily on. Many residents affected by the spill have yet to be compensated for damages to their livelihoods. (Jane Hahn)
  • Nejapa, El Salvador- A security guard washes his hands at an outdoor tap at Miranda Cafe in Nejapa, El Salvador June 2018.Nejapa is not only home to a number of bottling plants including Coca Cola and Lactolac, it also lies above one of El Salvador's largest aquifers, feeding neighboring communities and much of San Salvador.The San Antonio River, once a main source of water for Nejapa, has been contaminated by the waste produced by industrial bottling plants since their arrival in 1996. Bio filtration systems were installed but have been broken since 2006. (Jane Hahn)
  • San Salvador, El Salvador- A major shopping mall was built over protected land in San Salvador, El Salvador June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • The sun rises over a volcano in El Salvador June 2018. (Jane Hahn)
  • home
  • groundwater crisis (ongoing)
    • el salvador
    • lake chad basin
      • diffa, niger
      • chad
  • northern mali
    • MINUSMA: the UNs most dangerous mission
  • surviving boko haram (2012-2019)
  • niger: the repentant ones
  • vigilantes of nigeria
  • the emir of kano
  • dambe boxing
  • south sudan
    • malakal
  • central african republic
    • UN sex abuse
    • M'Poko IDP Camp
  • past work
    • ebola's legacy
    • ivory coast post election crisis
      • post election crisis
      • women's day violence
    • nigeria
      • lagos polo club
      • jos, nigeria
      • niger delta
    • gambia's migration
    • guinea's ebola crisis
    • outsourcing education
    • niger's food shortage
    • robertsport, liberia
  • singles
  • publications
  • client access
  • biography
  • contact

copyright Jane Hahn. Site design © 2010-2023 Neon Sky Creative Media