JEMEINSHU WUIN (“Desert Water Spring”)
“Bringing resiliency to a unique indigenous peoples in the harsh desert of La Guajira”
The Jemeinshu Wuin or “Desert Spring” proposition for the indigenous Wayúu communities seeks to improve the quality of life of this highly vulnerable population, strengthening their resilience and adaptation to ongoing desertification of their homeland through intermediate technologies that provide critical infrastructure services, overcome dependency on fossil fuels, and promote their immersion in a model “circular economy” based on regenerative tourism, conservation of their cultural practices and customs, and development of new micro-enterprises. The plan that follows was prepared Spring/Summer 2020 by students, graduates, and faculty of the The Spitzer School of Architecture and the Grove School of Engineering as part of City College of New York’s Sustainability in the Urban Environment Program, City University of New York . Copyright © 2020 by Hillary Brown, Professor, City College of New York. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal. Cover & pg. 2 images courtesy of Vive Huellas.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW............................................................................................................. 4 2. BACKGROUND...................................................................................................................... 6 3. THE PLIGHT OF THE WAYUU................................................................................................... 7 4. PROJECT OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................... 10 5. SYNERGIES, MULTI-FUNCTIONALITIES: TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY................... 10 6. THE JEMEINSHU WUIN CAMPUS MASTER PLAN................................................................. 12 7. USE OF INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE......................... 14 9. PERMACULTURAL PRACTICES FOR FOOD SECURITY & SOVEREIGNTY........................... 23 10. DEVELOPING A LOCAL MICRO-ECONOMY................................................................... 27 11. CROSS-CUTTING COMPONENTS & RESILIENCY.............................................................. 32 12. CO-DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL........................................................................................ 33 13. THE JEMEINSHU WUIN PROJECT: SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS ......................... 34 14. REFERENCES....................................................................................................................... 35 15. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................................... 36 16. APPENDICES...................................................................................................................... 37
Caribean Sea
Cabo de la Vela
La Guajira
Jemeinshu Wuin
2 Panama
Venezuela
Pacific Ocean
El Cerrejón Mine
Rioacha (Political Capital)
Colombia
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National Park Macuira
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La Guajira
Uribia (Wayuu capital)
Peru
1 Ecuador
Brazil Location of la Guajira & Jemeinshu Wuin project. Image © Landsat / Copernicus. Figures 3 & 4
PROJECT OVERVIEW Across the globe, desert coastal areas are on the front-lines of climate change impacts from sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion and stressors from increased intensity of prolonged drought. At the same time, many occupants of these desert communities are struggling to put in place the most basic critical infrastructure services, to overcome water scarcity, create food security from farming and animal husbandry, and spur economic development to support their populations, many now long-suffering from malnutrition. Today, the peninsula of La Guajira in northernmost Colombia (fig. 3) is tragically confronting these and multiple other challenges. These include degradation of the occupants’ habitat through desertification; pollution from nearby coal mining and resultant aquifer pollution; paramilitary activities by various groups with vested interest in territorial and economic control; and the in-migration of other Wayúu tribes and refugees from the prolonged economic crisis in neighboring Venezuela (fig. 4). Refusing to abandon their pastoral and subsistence farming and fishing in the Caribbean, but largely unsupported by the Colombian government, the Wayúu living along the coast have experienced encroachment on their windy ancestral lands and sacred places by government-promoted wind farms. Further, there’s the loss of many regional livelihoods in the next decade as work in the adjacent open-pit coal mine, El Cerrejón (fig. 5) may be phased out. What is urgently needed to support this vanishing way of life is a humanitarian development solution that is culturally compatible, sustainable and resilient.
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El Cerrejon Mine. Photo: Courtesy of Ynske Borja Figure 5
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Cabo de la Vela. One of the world’s Kite Surf paradise. Image: Praia kite Surf expedtions. Figure 7
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View of Macuira Park. Photo: Courtesy of Vive Huellas. Figure 6
Road to EL Cabo. Photo courtesy of Pablo Monsalve. Figure 8
What exceptionally characterizes (and also challenges) such a solution is this marginalized population’s legacy of self-reliance, today increasingly undercut by dependence upon trucked-in water and food imports. The Wayúu’s dessicated landscape, with the scant resources it provides, does, however, offer some unique prospects for both self-sufficiency as well as modest integration into a market economy. The former includes ample sun, strong prevailing winds from the northeast, and immediate access to the Caribbean Sea. The latter turns on a pillar local economy: sale of woven and knitted artisanal handicrafts (vividly colored bags, hammocks, blankets, etc.) These goods, in combination with a stunning land- and seascape provide a magnet for moderately-scaled eco-tourism along the peninsula (figs. 6,7,8). The project described here is a modest pilot plan for a particular coastal area in the northernmost part of the department, known locally as Alta Guajira. It incorporates a series of appropriate technologies to provide greater physical, environmental and economic security for the Wayúu living in the area’s rancherías (family compounds). Improvements to water, sanitation, food and energy production, silvopasture practices (integration of trees, forage and animal grazing for mutual benefit), and an “eco-entrepreneurial park,” along with small, low-impact tourist facilities—have all been conceptually designed here to improve local wellbeing and improve the economy. A key objective for identifying and developing each of these components is an understanding of how these systems could be productively interlinked to yield a range of synergies and co-benefits. The following material reflects initial group research followed by development of a conceptual vision for a pilot humanitarian response to the plight of the Wayúu. It has been created by twenty interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate students who collectively undertook this 9-week assignment, developed at the City College of New York within its interdisciplinary Master’s of Science Program, Sustainability in the Urban Environment. They were assisted by two recent graduates of the program from Colombia (see Acknowledgements) who helped identify this as a potential class project. Currently, consideration is being given to the potential future implementation of the project by a number of recently identified parties interested in co-creating it in partnership with the indigenous Wayúu community.
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BACKGROUND Demographics & Governance The term Wayúu means “person” in Wayúunaiki, a major Arawakan language spoken by the indigenous group today known as the Wayúu. The Wayúu people are known to have migrated from the Amazon region to their current dispersed location in the north of Colombia and Venezuela (Perez, 2004). The Wayúu represent 20.5% of the Colombian indigenous communities, making them the largest existing indigenous community in the country, with a population of 380,460 (DNP Census, 2018). The Wayúu society was traditionally composed of several semi-nomadic, matrilineal tribes consisting of fishermen and hunter-gatherers. Soon after contact with the Europeans, they adopted cattle, goat and sheep herding as their primary means of subsistence (Llambi, 1989). Their culture is sustained by four pillars: the legal system, or common law; the pütchipü’üi or palabrero, the legal system’s governing guardian; the ouutsü women (the spiritual pillar), and the Wayúunaiki, or mother tongue (Figueroa, 2015). Their socio-economic activities and cultural universe are distinguished by two groups: the Apalaanchi, “of the beach,” and the Arumewi, or inland shepherds.
View of traditinoal Rancheria setting. Photo: Courtesy of Vive Huellas.
Figure 9
The Wayúu occupy the Alta Guajira region in relatively diffuse settlements. Their core social and spatial unit is the ranchería– píichipala, in Wayúunaiki, see (fig. 9). This traditional family settlement is composed of approximately five to ten households that are spaced several minutes’ walk apart (Vergara Gonzales, 1990).
Cultural Richness Resisting assimilation, the Wayúu have managed to preserve their unique, otherworldly culture. Many Wayúu strongly adhere to their traditions and continue to speak Wayúunaiki. Dreams hold a special significance in the Wayúu world view (Arapé and Reverol, 2008). Myths, philosophies, dances, and traditional symbolism are passed down through the generations, especially through the strong matriarchal leaders of the clan who are singularly responsible for interpreting dreams.
Wayuu dance. Photo: Archivo eluniversal.com.co. Figure
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Beach in Alta Guajira. Photo: Courtesy of Vive Huella. Figure
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Weaving is a common practice, also passed down through generations of women. It is an extremely important part of female identity. Wayúu women are known for their great artisanal skills. Using various techniques, they produce unique chinchorros (hammocks), mochilas (bags), hats, clothes, all highly valued in the global market. Their work brings in much needed income for the increasingly stressed and impoverished rancherias. Ceramics, musical Instruments, and jewelry are some of the other crafts produced by the Wayúu people (fig. 10).
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Dunas de Taroa. Photo: Courtesy of Vive Huellas. Figure 12
THE PLIGHT OF THE WAYUU The Wayúu occupy a sparsely populated, desertifying area, near a relatively anarchic border with Venezuela, in a region where international aid is weak. Over the past 30 years, they have sustained environmental, political, economic, and social disturbances that have transpired more quickly than their ability to adapt to them.
Environmental Degradation This desiccated northwestern zone of the Urbia department at the northern tip of Colombia has endured repeated El Niño cycles, and climate instability has created acute water insecurity for the Wayúu population. With low annual rainfall (average 397 mm.) distributed unevenly throughout the year (mostly September through November), water stress is endemic to La Guajira rural regions (fig. 13,14). According to one study, the tree ring chronology strongly correlates with prolonged periods of drought (Ramirez and del Valle 2011). Women and children have been forced to walk great distances to access water from wells. Too many of these, along with the “jagueys’’ (man-made water collection lakes), have become polluted or saline. Alternatively, the families depend on weekly water delivery trucks. Increasingly higher temperatures have accelerated the region’s
desertification, adding to major food insecurity. In addition to the decline in animal husbandry--over 90% of their animals are said to have died--the Wayúu’s traditional subsistence agriculture is under grave threat (Contreras, 2019). Extreme Water Scarcity: El Niño Events increase in strength and duration. Consequently prolonged droughts Rainfall Projection: reductions of 50% (IDEAM 2008) Average Rainfall: in arid northern section 397 mm Distributed according to a bimodal pattern. Temperature: Arid, dry climate: varies little throughout the year. Average temperature 28 °C Increases in Annual Temperature: Range 4-5 °C July- warmest month; January- coldest. Humidity: Mostly Cloudy: Cloudier from April 3- Dec 8 the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 88% of the time Relative Humidity: 60- 70% throughout the year. Dew Point. Around 23 °C
Bimodal Rainfall Pattern Seen for La Guajira, Ramirez and del Valle Figure 13
Climate data for Uribia. National Parks Worldwide. Figure 14
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severely undermining the Wayúu health and livelihood. La Guajira is home to El Cerrejón, the largest open pit coal mine in Latin America (690 square kilometers or 270 square miles) (fig. 5). As of 2011, gas in La Guajira is being exploited by Chevron-Texaco at the rate of 750 million cubic feet of gas daily (Sanche Jabba, 2011). This extractivism is connected to the country’s long history of deforestation, pollution, forced displacement, and enduring social violence. In addition, private enterprise has co-opted control and caused depletion of the Ranchería River, which no longer flows to the Sea, preempting the Wayúu’s access to life-giving water. Paradoxically, this same region has solar energy- and wind power potential in abundance (fig. 16). As many as 67 wind parks are expected to be built in the area in the next five years, much of it on Wayúu territory. The country is planning to expand renewable energy production from 2% to 9% by 2025 (Posso & Barney, 2019). Traditional Wayuu Construction. Photo: Courtesy of Vive Huellas. Figure 15
Political Inaction, Corruption and Lack of Infrastructure According to a set of interviews conducted by the organization Human Rights Watch in 2017, both corruption and government inaction have exacerbated problems for the Wayúu, limiting their access to clean water, medical care, and education. La Guajira has the highest poverty rate in Colombia and the greatest number of persons with unsatisfied basic needs. In effect, the Wayúu have become synonymous with acute poverty in the country. The geographical isolation and dispersed structure of the Wayúu’s rancherías make the provision of infrastructural services by the government or private providers too challenging. Ninety-six percent of the Wayúu people have no access to sanitation facilities (Contreras et al, 2020) and only 45.1% of the dwellings located in rural areas of La Guajira have access to electricity (Vides-Prado et al. 2018). The majority of the Wayuu rancherías lack proper connection to Colombia’s grid, the National Integrated System (NIS). Most of their electricity comes from sparse diesel generators and Wayúu must travel far distances to access fuel (fig. 15)
Economic Disruption / Economic Opportunities In contrast to the poverty and harsh lives led by the Wayúu, La Guajira’s readily accessible natural resources today have created prosperity-but almost exclusively for those external to this department. Beginning in the mid-20th century, the national government began to partner with multinational corporations undertaking an ambitious program of extraction that today includes oil, natural gas, salt and wind energy. Lucrative coal mining and related gas operations are one of the main causes of severe environmental, cultural and socio-economic degradation in the territory,
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Jepirachi Wind Park. Photo: Gabriela Jaramillo. Figure 16
La Guajira’s otherworldly landscape, with its sacred dunes and beautiful beaches attracts not only private energy development but fortunately also adventurous tourists seeking the perfect breeze for kite-surfing, glorious birding, and a taste for authentic cultural experience. To that end, the national government has been developing plans and incentives for increasing tourism in the region.
Social, Political Conflict, and Crime “The constant of the department of La Guajira is suffering... the Wayúu people suffer, cornered by hunger, violence and corruption...” Colombian Office of the Ombudsman, 2014. Geographic conditions in La Guajira (sea access, the Venezuelan border and mountain trails) have enabled illegal activity to continue to flourish, as
the region has become a strategic locale for trafficking of goods including arms, gasoline, contraband vehicles, and drugs (El Tiempo, 2018). This is in part the legacy of the long Colombian armed conflict involving FARC and ELN guerrillas operating in the region. As a consequence, the Wayúu tribe has been directly affected, being in the midst of territorial disputes between guerillas, paramilitary groups and drug cartels. This conflict has destroyed property, forced displacement, disappearance, continued threats, torture and even homicide. Additionally, Wayúu women continue to suffer sexual abuse under these conditions (Defensoría del Pueblo, 2014). Additionally, given Venezuela’s ongoing hyperinflation and long-term recession, the neighboring La Guajira department has also been receiving increasing numbers of new immigrants along with those Wayúu returning to Colombia. This population influx puts pressure on existing scant resources, testing the limits of tribal unity, according to Wayúu police and tribal mediators. Dozens of disputes have been raging as violence breaks out between neighboring families (Cobb, 2020).
agencies but most importantly, as stated in 2020 by the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), “the actions taken to address the problematics have not been articulated with the indigenous traditional system, and lack adequate participation of the community” (ONIC, 2020).
Solutions Urgently Needed The Colombian Constitutional court reported in 2016, that in the preceding eight years, 4,770 Wayúu children died of malnutrition or related causes, putting in danger the survival of the group as a whole (TeleSUR, 2016). Including teenagers, younger mothers, and elders, the numbers for the decade have reached approximately 14,000 Wayúu deaths, according to Javier Rojas, leader of the indgenous organization, Wayúu Shipia (West, 2016). It is the reinforcing combination of the above-described complex problems and the prolonged and continued abandonment by the outside world that has led the region and its indigenous Wayúu into a humanitarian crisis, unendurably painful to its people (fig. 17).
Lack of Effective Humanitarian Response The civic sector, the Wayúu people, international and national organizations have for years pleaded with the Colombian Government to address the desperate situation in La Guajira. In 2015, The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued the 60 (2015) resolution, requesting local government to adopt the needed actions to preserve the life and personal integrity of children in La Guajira (Human Rights Watch, 2017). In 2016, the Constitutional Court, ordered the country’s government to take actions that guarantee basic critical services to the Wayúu in coordination with national, regional and local governments and sectors, including Wayúu indigenous authorities (La Corte Constitucional, 2017). In response, the National Government took actions against La Guajira’s lack of compliance and created a plan of action in 2017 (El Gobierno Nacional, 2017). Nonetheless, despite the millions of dollars invested generally in the region, high levels of corruption, lack of supervision, and bureaucracy have diverted funds from the vulnerable Wayúu communities. Acknowledging the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis, water and food, many non-governmental organizations at the local, national and international level have started aid programs for the Wayúu community. For instance since 2014, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in partnership with the private sector, national government and local governments, has made efforts focusing on providing clean water to the communities. Nonetheless, many of the projects built in the traditional territories have been unsuccessful in improving the Wayúu’s quality of life in the long run. Barriers to progress are due to lack of operational strategies like equipment maintenance, lack of training, poor coordination between
Wayúu Burial. Photo: Courtesy of Nicolo Filipo Roso. Figure 17
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PROJECT OBJECTIVES The Jemeinshu Wuin or “Desert water Spring” proposition for the indigenous Wayúu communities seeks to improve the quality of life of this highly vulnerable population, strengthening their resilience and adaptation to ongoing desertification of their homeland through intermediate technologies that provide critical infrastructure services, overcome dependency on fossil fuels, and promote their immersion in a model “circular economy” model based on regenerative tourism, conservation of their cultural practices and customs, and development of new micro-enterprises.
While implementation of the project would necessitate a “co-development” effort with the Wayúu community (redefining and building buy-in to the plan), this conceptual design offers a vision for how they may improve their self-sufficiency based upon the optimized use of indigenous resources. The proposed food production systems and infrastructural technologies illustrated here were chosen specifically to be operated and maintained almost entirely by trained members of the local Wayúu families. A further goal for a constructed version, if successful, is that it be readily replicable in multiple locales along the coast to achieve regional revitalization and resiliency.
Drip Irrigation
Solid Waste
e ur t c
Accommodation
L
Circular Model
youth Childhood
Co-creation
Culture Resilience
Market
Cross-cutting Issues Education
Park as business model
Gas Sustainability
Internet
Innovation Center
Restaurant
Fog Catchment
Renewables
Eco-Ethno Turism
my ono Ec al oc
Rain Harvesting
Crítical I nfr ae st ru
Biodigester
services asic B /
Branding & Marketing Gender
Grazing
Master Plan Seawater Greenhouse
Landscape Refrigeration
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Seaweed
Food S e c u rit y
Traditional Medicine
Permaculture
Icons: The Noun Project. Diagram: Veronica Franco. Figure 18
SYNERGIES, MULTI-FUNCTIONALITIES: TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY To economize on resource expenditures, the project incorporates timehonored ecological design principles: follow nature’s example, intervene as little as possible, moderate resource use through efficiency, and foster symbiotic or synergistic arrangements across elements. Examples of synergistic practices used in the project include the collocation of crops and photovoltaic arrays (termed “agrivoltaics”) in which the shade provided by the panels reduces evaporative water loss while the power provided effectively doubles productivity of the land. Similarly, the permaculture practice of “intercropping”—different food crops planted in close proximity—improves productivity. Wherever possible, one component serves more than a single function: in the Seawater Greenhouse, a pump that raises seawater during the day for evaporation/condensation in the greenhouse, at night pumps water to the solar stills for daytime evaporation. A panoply of both technical and economic solutions for this site were considered. While some were deemed unsuitable, the ones incorporated here, taken collectively, were chosen for their relative operational simplicity as well as how, through integration, they can support outcomes greater than the sum of the individual parts, based on reciprocal exchanges and synergies. The project’s whole-systems framework (figs, 18 and 19) promotes cycling of wastes from one activity for beneficial use by another, a concept known as a “circular economy”— considered to be one promising means of operationalizing sustainable development. In contrast to the linear and wasteful characteristics of an industrial economy, a circular or ‘closed-loop” arrangement results in efficient use of resources and waste prevention, creating a regenerative and self-sustaining economy. In this project, this concept is exemplified through the cycling of organic wastes—agricultural, domestic, animal and human— for the extraction of useful biomethane as a fuel source, as well as retrieving valuable nutrients to return to the soil for further food production.
Circular Synergies Flow Diagram The diagram illustrates the connections and exchage of materials between the different components of the project. It does not reflect however the real location nor size of the technologies on site.
Figure 19 Diagram: Veronica Franco.
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The Jemeinshu Wuin Complex Master Plan The site selected for the project (12°14’17.2”N 72°00’35.8”W) is essentially generic to much of the Alta Guajira coastal region, characterized by sandy soil and sparse vegetation, and sloping gently to the sea. The complex’ close proximity to the sea (fig. 20) is important for a number of reasons, not just for serving the tourists. First, it is important for lowering energy use in pumping seawater to the two Seawater Greenhouses, the most central feature of the development for freshwater and food production. These two structures are positioned to accept prevailing winds from the northeast. Behind them is a naturally humidified and irrigated zone for citrus trees and compatible indigenous crops. Solar stills are positioned near this productive area. To the east, also close to the sea, are the dew-, fog- and rainwater-harvesting Warka towers. Afloat in the sea nearby is the seaweed cultivation area connected to the shore by a floating ramp. Rising to the south of the greenhouses, a series of constructed agricultural terraces incorporate elevated photovoltaic panels above the planting beds. Beyond this terraced area is grazing land for the goats and nearby is their stable, designed for collection of their dung. An essential aspect of this economic development proposal is the inclusion of facilities that support ethno- and eco-tourism. A cluster of buildings to the east include the visitor center and school, a restaurant, distillery and a multipurpose room for use by the community. The visitor accommodations that face seaward consist of a string of small cabins that replicate the Wayúu building style. A viewing pavilion is placed right along the bird watching path that hugs the coast. Visitors parking is close to a new market that also doubles as a community center. Nearby is the community charging station and the biodigester where organic waste is deposited. The proximity of all these working parts of the project provides visitors with an intimate experience of the Wayúu economy and culture, along with the option of working alongside community members in farming, securing water, or tending animals – all of this while still enjoying the sun and surf in an unspoiled shoreline setting.
Project’s Location
Caribean Sea
Jemeinshu Wuin Jemeinshu Wuin Jepirachi Wind Park
Cabo de la Vela
Puerto Bolivar
Wayuu Rancherias
Jepirachi Wind Park
Military Base Cerrejón Mine Railway
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Puerto Bolivar Airport
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Base Maps Image © Landsat / Copernicus
Seaweed
Bird Watching pavillion One large “rent-a hammock� space Bike paths
Eco-Rancheria Lodging Single cabins
Warka Water
Restaurant, Distillery Multipurpose room
Seawater Greenhouse
Water production Interior agriculture
School/Innovation Center
Water Tanks and Wells
Technical training, Multipurpose classes for visitors & community
Battery station
Salt Shed and Storage
Biodigester
Crop, Microclimate Intercropping
Parking Welcome/ Cultural Center, Market
Classic Solar Still
Learn about Wayuu traditions and the site
Modular Solar Still
Grazing area at night to collect manure
AgroPV AreaAnimal husbandry grazing Management
Goat Grazing
98.4 ft 0 ft
65.6 ft
164 ft
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Site Plan: Veronica Franco. Figure 20
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USE OF INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Seawater Green House Site Plan. Drawing: Kenia Peralta. Figure 21
A new paradigm is needed for developing solutions that bypass first-world fossil fuel-dependency, instead relying upon “intermediate” (alternative) infrastructural technologies that are not only more environmentally benign but also well-aligned with the local context and its resources. Emphasis is placed on technical solutions deemed to be compatible with the traditional Wayúu way of life, with an emphasis on those solutions that can be constructed and maintained by both trained and unskilled community manpower. The intention here is to develop a small circular economy built around an infrastructural and agricultural “commons,” i.e. land, constructed facilities and resources belonging to, and governed by, the whole family community.
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Seawater Greenhouse Ltd., the SWGH was first employed in 1994 in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. Since then, the technology has been utilized in desert conditions around the globe. A version completed in 2017 on the coast of Berbera, Somaliland, which has a quite similar climate, is the model selected for replication in La Guajira based upon the simplicity of construction and use of readily obtainable materials (fig. 22 and 23).
Towards Water Self Sufficiency A first-order objective for the project is the development of relatively simple techniques for clean water procurement. While harvested rainwater and distilled water may be used for irrigation, further purification is advisable to become a drinking water source.
The Seawater Greenhouse In this water scarce region, crop irrigation competes with domestic water availability. Therefore, the Seawater Greenhouse (SWGH), which collocates food and freshwater production in a single solar-powered facility, offers a two-for-one solution. The SWGH recapitulates the hydrologic humidification/ dehumidification cycle in which seawater is first evaporated by the sun, then cools down to form clouds and returns to the earth as fog, rain, or dew. The SWGH is to be the cornerstone of this modest development (fig. 21). It provides ideal (cooler and moister) growing conditions for nutritional food production for the Wayúu local community and visitors. Developed by Charlie Paton, founder and managing director of
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Built Seawater Green House structures in Somali Land. Photo: Courtesy Seawater Greenhouse Figures 22/23
The greenhouse is basically a kit-of-parts, assembled using low-impact, off-the-shelf components. Each of two 10,750 ft2. greenhouse structures planned here consist of a grid of support poles spaced according to a 16’x20’ module (fig. 25). This spacing supports optimal circulation around the modular crop beds. Wires connecting the poles support the enclosing netting, a fabric which creates a luminous but partially shaded interior. The north and east walls, framed by 2’x4’ and 2’x10’ lumber, constitute the evaporator walls that capture prevailing winds. A cross-section of the greenhouse (fig. 24) describes the process. Evaporators consist of specialized corrugated cardboard pads, a porous medium that also filter out dust, salt, pollen, and insects. Sea water drawn from a shallow depth is trickled down these surfaces and is evaporated as air is drawn through these features into the interior. This now moisture-laden, cooler air creates favorable growing conditions. The airstream continues across the greenhouse cultivation area. Prior to exiting the greenhouse, it passes through a second evaporator containing solar-heated seawater, raising the humidity to a saturation point. The air is then condensed as it is drawn across deep seawater-cooled condenser pipes, producing distilled water that is then transferred to a storage container. Finally, the still-humid air exiting the greenhouse creates a favorable microclimate for exterior cultivation immediately downwind. This area will grow citrus trees and other traditional crops that take advantage of this oasis effect (fig. 50 pg.25).
Cross Section Seawater Greenhouse. Drawing: Kenia Peralta. Figure 24
Wire structure that connects all the poles and supports the netting that allows for sunlight to be regulated to reach the plants and help maintain humidity. Evaporation pads.
2x4 and 2x10 pieces of lumber that create a frame to support the evaporation pads. Grid of poles that are spaced to create a 16’x20’ module where beds can be placed.
Seawater Grenhouse structure. Drawing: Tom Piscina. Figure 25
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Reverse Osmosis treatment Prior to its potable use, the freshwater is subjected to reverse osmosis via a packaged commercial system that removes any remaining contaminants (fig. 26). Since watering needs in the greenhouse are reduced, thanks to its high humidity and shading, there will be a water surplus that can augment the community’s potable water supply. Another SWGH byproduct is a brine solution, collected from the evaporator walls. The brine is introduced into shallow pools for further evaporation, then into a drying shed topped by translucent polycarbonate panels yielding a salt product for potential sale. Desalination: Reverse Osmosis Specifications Reverse osmosis is commonly used for desalination, because of its low energy consumption and simple application. Recommendation for Greenhouse: (Evaporation Wall- 1 pass system) For every 10 gallons of feed water entering the system, 4 to 6 gallons of purified permeate water are produced. 3 to 10 kWh of electric energy is required to produce one cubic meter of freshwater -around 1,826 W/hr instant energy requirement Recommended: EPRO Commercial RO System 31,680 - 144,000 GPD 99% purification/80% recovery
Operations Following the model of the Somaliland prototype, members of the local Wayúu clan will be trained to help construct, as well as maintain and operate the SWGH technology: the pumps and fans, and the reverse osmosis system, one water further purifying system, among others. The remaining agricultural jobs associated with the greenhouse offer an important economic opportunity for women (see Appendix A).
Other Means of Water Procurement While the Seawater Greenhouses will provide a modest freshwater surplus after irrigating the crops, this quantity should be reserved for potable use only. With the goal of community self-sufficiency for both crop watering, animal and domestic use, the community water shortfall must be addressed by alternative means as follows:
Water Conveyance and water end-use require different arrangements: RO. Somali Land Photo: Seawater Greenhouse.
Figure 26
Diagram of an RO System with Basic Components, (Kl McMordie, Wendel , 2013). Specifications by: Qasim Suhail
Siting and Auxiliary Spaces The SWGH is sited approximately 650 feet (200 meters) from the shore. This placement is modeled on that used by the Somaliland greenhouse. The two greenhouses are placed on a raised, compacted earth plinth to avoid any seasonal flooding. The site complex includes the following components: • (2) 5-acre (0.2 hectare) greenhouses, one dedicated to temperate crops and the other to tropical crops. • (1) salt shed and (1) storage shed flanked on the western side to avoid blocking the northeast winds needed for the greenhouse structures • (1) A well and several tanks for the storage of seawater, freshwater, and
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potable water placed in the center court between the greenhouses. Here, community potable water is drawn from a spigot.
1) water in the Seawater Greenhouse and in the exterior growing area will be gravity-piped by drip irrigation to the plant beds inside and outside the greenhouse structure; 2) the SWGH’s surplus potable water will serve community and guest end users, accessed via a simple spigot; 3) water from the solar stills will be piped to a central storage “well” and then pumped uphill to cisterns placed near the several agricultural beds for use in drip irrigation. Water availability and sufficiency - both potable and non-potable are vital for Wayúu community health and wellbeing in this desert landscape. Its link to food production is crucial and for that reason, the Seawater Greenhouse, supplemented by various techniques for freshwater production, underpins all other aspects of this development initiative.
Solar Stills These provide a mechanism for distilling seawater by replicating the hydrologic cycle of evaporation and condensation within a small glass or plastic-enclosed volume. A simple classic still consists of a pit dug in the earth covered with a plastic membrane and a bucket below that catches condensation from evaporation of the piped-in seawater, (fig. 27). In a glass-covered box still with a blackened base, the use of double wicks increase surface area for solar evaporation of the salt water (fig. 28). Fresh water condenses on the tilted glass cover, leaving behind salts and
Warka Water project originally built in Ethiopia
microbial matter. At night, when the SWGH operations are otherwise idle, its pumps will continue to operate, diverting seawater to the various stills for daytime distillation. The fresh water will be stored in a tank and used for irrigation. Figure 27
Classic Solar Still: By, Daniele Pugliesi • • • • • •
5-10 Solar stills. Classic solar still: arround 4 liter/m2/day; 3 liters after waste 48 x 36” continer Efficiency of solar energy use at 1.5 kWh/ liter Cost of Water> $10/1,1000 gallons.
Figure 28
Floating-tilted-wick solar-still By: Nuo Yang • • • •
5-10 Solar stills. Arround 6.25 liter/m2/day; 5 liters after waste 40 x 40 x 30” maximum extents. 15* incline. Installation Cost: $92.56 Ropes Add stability
“Warka Water Tower” by Arturo Vitoli (Architecture and Vision) These unique structures (fig. 29, 29a) will augment freshwater by collecting and storing water from both rainfall and that harvested from the atmosphere. Designed by Arturo Vitturi, architect, this tall, low-tech structure comprises a polyester mesh draped around a light-weight tower. It relies upon ambient humidity, condensation and gravity to collect atmospheric fog. These droplets are then funneled to a central holding tank that also stores any rainwater received from the structure or collected from nearby building roofs. Depending on the meteorological conditions and the tower’s size (12 different prototypes have been developed), the Warka tower can capture as much as 40 to 80 liters of water daily. The structure can be readily erected by eight community members in about a month using local, biodegradable and recyclable materials: bamboo, hemp rope, polyester mesh and cables. Water can be further filtered via solar pasteurization if necessary. The structure can also feature an encircling canopy that affords shaded gathering space. The tower complex can be complemented by directly-irrigated agriculture placed nearby.
Structure Bamboo frame that provides robustness and strenght
Mesh Alows air to pass through , captures water
Collector Water droplets chanel to the tank. canopy Provides shade, Gthering place
Mesh Alows air to pass through , captures water
Warka Water. Drawings & Photo by: Architecture and Vision. Figures 29, 29a
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CALCULATION manure production + human excreta + food waste Qty
Animal
Type
Manure (kg/day)
Biogas Production (m3/day)
15
Pig
Raising
49.5
2.6
40
Goat
Breeding F/M
92.0
4.8
Food Waste (kg/day)
Biogas Production (m3/day)
FruitVegetable
8
4.7
Corncob
4
0.9
Type
Qty
Human Excreta (kg/day)
Biogas Production (m3/day)
15
6
0.5
Manure per day (Kg)
Human Excreta per day (Kg)
Organic Waste per day (Kg)
Water to be Added per day (Lt)
141.5
6
12
160
Biodigester system Diagram by: Ignacio Lopez. Figure 30
Biodigester system. charts & Diagram by: Yennifer Diaz. Figure 31
Sanitation Via Anaerobic Biodigestion
Deployment of anaerobic biodigestion, a relatively simple technology, can dramatically improve sanitary conditions. It supports a sequence of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. These can take the form of small biogas reactors in the vicinity of large rancherías as well one big one for visitor and commercial facilities. The small reactors or covered lagoons (fig 30) typically polypropylene bags placed above a pit-- may be directly connected to rancheria toilets and filled with animal manure and organic waste. Methane harvested from these digesters can be utilized for cooking. A large biodigester (fig. 31) comprising a prefabricated tank placed below ground, is located near the visitor facilities and restaurants where it will be connected to public toilets. It will receive both food scraps, agricultural waste as well as animal manure. Large quantities of biogas (for cooking) can be produced if animal manure is co-digested with blackwater, whereas significant gas production would not be achieved from human excreta alone. For example, approximately 65 kilograms of manure, co-digested with food and human waste, can provide sufficient gas for five hours of cooking on a gas burner. The remaining approximately 200 liters of bioslurry residue, which will be continuously discharged, is a nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used in food production. To ensure these solids are pathogenfree, solar sterilization or other additional treatment may be required before application in the field.
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1 kg of fresh animal manure can give approximately 0.05 cubic meter of biogas. We are lookig to provide 5 hours/day of cooking gas.
Animal manure Production and biogas potential Animal (1) Pig
Cow
Goat
Chicken
Human excreta Waste amount and biogas potential
Manure (kg/ day)
Biogas production* (m3/day)
Sows Raising Fattening Piglet
7.0 3.3 3.3 0.4
0.35 0.17 0.17 0.02
Breeding female Breeding male Fattening
30 15 13
1.50 0.75 0.65
Breeding female Breeding male No breeders
2.3 2.3 1.3
0.12 0.12 0.07
Type (1)
Laying hens in cages/ barns Broilers
0.15
0.03**
0.10
0.02**
Human Excreta (kg/person/day
Biogas production* (m3/day)
0.10 - 0.40
0.02 - 0.028
Organic Waste Biogas potential
(0.67 m3/ kg VS x 85% TS = VS) Food-Waste (kg/day)
Biogas production* (m3/day)
1
0.57 m3
Maize Cob (kg)
Biogas production* (m3/day)
1
0.22 m3
Charts by: Yennifer Diaz. Figure 32
Biogas Required for cooking Quantity (People)
Biogas required cubic meters (cooking only)
1-6
0.5 - 3 m3
7-10
3.5 - 5 m3
11-16
5.5 - 8 m3
17-25
8.5 - 12.5 m3
26-30
13 - 15 m3
Each person requires approximately 0.4 m3 to 0.6 m3 of biogas per day for cooking.
Biogas Production A 15-cubic meter fixed dome bio-digester is proposed in order to produce enough biogas for cooking to serve approximately 25 - 30 people daily in the eco-tourism park. This biogas reactor consists of an underground brickconstructed tank with an inlet that is used to add feed to the digester, specifically animal manure from goats and pigs, food-waste, and agricultural waste (fig. 33). The digester also collects human excreta with a direct connection to pourflush toilets located in public bathrooms in the eco-park. The biogas is produced under pressure and is stored in the upper part of the tank. The digestate slurry is pushed out of the digester through the outlet pipe into a collection chamber. The digestion chamber is sealed to ensure its
Biodigester Flow-diagram. charts & Diagram by: Yennifer Diaz. Figure 33
anaerobic operation and minimal heat loss. Waterproof coating or synthetic paint is added inside the upper part of the dome as a gas-tight layer. The underground condition saves space and is additionally a safety feature. The construction process consists of land preparation, excavation, the supply of building materials, the masonry work, installation of pipes, and testing for leakages. All the materials required to build the large biodigester are brick, cement, sand and gravel, waterproof coating, steel reinforcement and inlet and PVC outlet pipes, all of which are locally available. One of the challenges of operating this biogas system is maintaining a constant supply of organic substrate and freshwater to keep the digestion process stable. Figure 34 describes the entire process.
Mnaure Collection Diagram by: Ignacio Lopez Figure 34.
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Energy Independence Via Renewable Technologies “Energy is the backbone of any society’s resilience. Lack of access to electricity creates greater welfare issues associated with water and food and public health insecurity...” (Vides-Prado et al. 2018). The La Guajira region truly has great renewable energy potential since the region is blessed with consistently high levels of solar radiation in addition to its excellent wind power potential. Over the past two decades, that potential has led to the superimposition of wind farms across much of the Wayúu territory. Today, the Wayúu are troubled by the prospect of more land appropriation by the government: as many as 65 more wind farms have been currently scheduled to be in development in the department by 2023 (Power Columbia, 2020). Localized renewable energy sources have enormous potential to curb the social and environmental challenges of the Wayúu in La Guajira and afford greater resilience. Given the region’s renewable energy potential, photovoltaic (PV) energy and wind energy are essential components of the proposed power system to alleviate the Wayúu’s energy insecurity. Along with electricity, the anaerobic digester will produce a renewable cooking gas. The objective is to provide low-tech energy systems that can be maintained primarily by trained locals. These relatively modest passive systems are an attempt to defer to Wayúu culture, while meeting basic needs. A three-phase energy plan is proposed: Phase 1) Create self-sufficient electricity-producing systems; Phase 2) Implement a microgrid by connecting the individual energy systems; Phase 3) Work to connect the micro grid with the Colombian NIS.
Autonomous Solar PV The project location has very high solar radiation potential (figs 35 & 36). There are low levels of cloud cover in this relatively arid climate. La Guajira presents the greatest solar radiation potential out of any department in Colombia. The lowest irradiation ranges from October to December with a maximum average of 5-5.5 kWh/m2/day. For most of the year, the site location offers 6-6.5 kWh/m2/day of solar potential (Caravajol-Romo et al. 2019). A small 27 kW photovoltaic farm will have its panelized arrays
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raised high enough above the planting beds, creating what’s called an “agrivoltaic” installation. It will produce 133.2 kWh per day and 47,962 kWh per year, sufficient to support 23 households at 5.8 kWh/day (Vides-Prado et al. 2018). The system will include 108 PV modules at 250-watt power and 27 module mounting structures (fig. 37). It will provide energy to the SWGH and the campus in general, and will include a charging station and battery storage. Part of the solar PV proposition is to provide 1 to 2 modules, at 250-watt power, at each of the neighboring rancherías. A 15-cubic meter fixed dome bio-digester is proposed for basic power needs. The community charging station will serve to recharge portable lanterns and battery packs as auxiliary energy for the rancherias.
Monthly map mesh of irradiation Figure 35
Map of Irradiation Colombia 2014 Figure 36
Photovoltaic System Components System Information System Power 250 W photovoltaic module
Quantity 27 kW 108
Inverters: GEMKS 5 K multifunctional equipment
3
255 Ah/12 V AGM battery
50
PV module mounting structure
27
Electricity meter for the energy supplied to households
1
Electricity meter for total production
1
Programmable electricity meter
23
Electrical Protection and cabinets
1
Energy Production & Costs Power (kW)
Annual Production (kWh/year)
Daily Production (kWh/day)
27
47,962
133
Energy Cost
Energy Cost (60% subsidy)
COP $1159
COP $464
USD $0.30
USD $0.12
System Costs Storage System
Converter
Initial Investment
COP COP $128,911,936 $29,700,000
COP $28,665,000
COP $187,276,928
Annual Operating costs COP $5,153,733
USD $32,911
USD $7,318
USD $47,812
USD $1,316
PV Generator
USD $7,582
Location of the project site solar Energy Potential. * Idea,l flat topography for installatoins. Site Location averages 6’6.5 kWh-m2-day of solar. radiation potential. * Greatest out of any department in Colombia. * Minimum of 5’5.5 kWh-mr-day duirng winter System components, Charts: Joe Sollod Figure 37
Wind Turbine A Vergnet GEV MP C wind turbine was initially proposed for the highpoint of the project site. At this location, NASA wind data shows an average monthly wind speed of 9.28 m/s. At these speeds, the turbine can produce 1,176 MWh (fig. 38). This turbine model can be raised and lowered within an hour by just two people, making it ideal for the project site which, given climate instability and varying El Niño patterns, may occasionally experience very high wind speeds. This quick lowering capability allows for ground level maintenance as well. In addition, this turbine can withstand a wide range of temperatures, is designed for marine environments, and can withstand 100% relative humidity. The foundation of this specific turbine requires approximately 15 cubic meters of concrete; about 80% less than other turbines of its same size and capacity (fig. 39-41). Vergnet Turbine. Image: Wind Energy Consulting and Contracting Inc. Figure 39
Power Curve Wind Speed Power Curve (m/s) d=1.225 (kW) 32m kg/m3 blades 2,5 0 0 3,0 3,5 0 4,0 3 4,5 10 5,0 18 5,5 27 6,0 36 6,5 47 7,0 58 7,5 78 8,0 98 8,5 119 9,0 141 9,5 164 10 189 10,5 215 11,0 243 11,5 262 12,0 275 Up to 25 275
Production Estimates Hub height Annual wind gross speed production (m/s) (MWh/year 4,0 164 4,5 246 5,0 342 5,5 449 6,0 560 6,5 674 7,0 785 7,5 893 8,0 994 8,5 1089 9,0 1176
COMMENTS
• • • • • • General map of average wind speed in Colombia Charts by: Presleigh Hayashida. Figures 38
• • • • • •
La Guajira Average wind speed: 8-12 m/s @ 80 m Lowest capacity from August to December Maximum low in October: 7.2 m/s Peak capacity from May to August Maximum high in June: 10.74 m/s Annual average: 9.28 m/s
It can be lowered and raised by (2) people in under an hour Withstands category 4 hurricane winds Allows for ground level maintenance Requires a small foundation (only 15 m3 of concrete or 80% less than similar turbines.) Withstands temperatures ranging from -20 to 50 degrees C Designed for marine environments & 100% relative humidity Wind incEritrea. Photo: WECC Figure 40
SPECIFICATIONS Model
scription
Vergnet GEV MP C
2-blade downwind rotor, two speed generator (32 m diam. rotor, 55 m height)
Given the site’s average wind speeds, annual gross production is estimated at 1176 MWh/year. (N.B. Due to this component’s relative high cost in contrast with other features of the project, one or more smaller 20kW turbines may be substituted for this model).
Rotation Speed
Max Wind Speed
31-46 rpm
30-42.5 m/s (80 m/s lowered) Japan first retractable wind power. Photo: Ishigaki 2009. Figure 41
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ENERGY FLOW CHART
portable 240Wh battery for remote rancherias
Battery Storage Center
Stages of the Energy connectivity and Micro grid system for the project. Diagram: Manel Paret. Figure 42
As part of the energy proposal, the solar and wind energy systems will have a battery storage center. It will consist of 50 lead acid 255 Ah/12 V AGM batteries and three 3 inverter equipment sets. Other equipment includes electricity meters. The physical building adjacent to the turbine will be reinforced for security. Wind energy produced during the night (the time of lowest demand) will be stored. Along with the battery storage center, the energy system includes a diesel generator to supply power during energy intermittency. A collocated charging station will allow occupants of the area’s rancherias to charge portable batteries and lanterns, eliminating the need for any electrical wiring to the rancherías. Finally, in two different stages, a planned “microgrid” will integrate the various working parts (fig. 42). First, the main campus and secondly, with the wind turbine installation, connections can optionally be made to serve the nearby military base and potentially join the national grid in future. The project site offers promising solar radiation potential to implement low-tech, photovoltaic systems. There is also an opportunity to expand on the initial 27 kW agrivoltaic system to meet future energy demand. Paired with goat grazing and agricultural purposes, the PV system provides beneficial shading for increased land productivity. While the systems (PV and turbine) are of relatively high cost for the project, the only other concern for solar energy adoption will be the the issue of the Wayuu’s acceptance of this “industrial” technology.
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PERMACULTURAL PRACTICES FOR FOOD SECURITY & SOVEREIGNTY
Image: (© P. B. Dharmasena) Figure 43
Image: David Read Figure 45 The symbiosis between fungi and roots
In this region with its heat and aridity, with low value crops, degraded soil, and lack of diversity in food and animal production, a systems-oriented, circular approach to food and water production is a means to address these interrelated problems.
Soil Restoration
Soil quality in La Guajira has been negatively impacted by the semi-arid conditions of the region, and loss is exacerbated by ongoing drought. Lowcost techniques are appropriate for improving the soil’s fertility and waterholding capacity. The use of soil “bunds,” rock and soil dug from trenches to form continuous linear mounds, slows water runoff and encourages infiltration (fig. 43). Growing crops on soil bunds has been proven to provide sufficient crop yields for other semi-arid regions in Eastern Africa with conditions similar to La Guajira. Planting in clay pots placed in the earth helps retain water longer (fig. 47). This technique, coupled with drip irrigation in all areas under cultivation, reduces loss of soil moisture (fig. 44) . Another method is soil inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from the area. This is a practice whereby the companion fungus creates a “symbiotic” relationship, boosting the plant’s efficiency in obtaining nutrients and retaining water. This organic method, plus fertilization with compost and bioslurry from anaerobic biodigestion, will improve plant productivity (figs. 45, 46). These techniques are meant to be used in tandem with one another to balance soil hydrology, close nutrient cycles, all with the promise of higher value crop yields.
Greenhouse Interior Both inside the greenhouse and out (fig. 50), including the adjacent agricultural terraces, crop production relies on permaculture practices (mimicking patterns from natural ecosystems), in particular the use of “intercropping” (planting different food crops for compatibility, i.e. capacity for structural support, self-shading, nutrient exchange and nitrogen fixing).
Food distribution center. Riohacha. Figure 44
DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM:
Run irrigation lines 100ft under black fabric mulchto retains moisture.
Ph: Lindsay Paramore Figure 46
SOIL BUNDS
Inputs: Salt tolerant plants, Labor: for re-vegetation Outputs: Vegetation, Crops, Forming Terrace Site Requirements: acreage, cattle size, sloped land Construction Process: Planting of grass, trees, shrubs along bunds stabilizes them. Bunds continue to build up and a gradual terrace is created. Benefits/Potentials: Growing Agroforestry industry/practice. Fungal Inoculation: The symbiosis between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots, enhance nutrient Under the Solar Farm: Run irrigation lines 100ft under black fabric mulch. Mulch Layer: Retains moisture retention.
Drip irrigation + Soil Bunds Diagrams by: Carolina Salane. Figure 47
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What Is Intercropping? Placing elements in such a way to cooperate with and serve the needs of other elements
Benefits of Intercropping: * Spatial interaction * Trap crop * Nitrogen fixation * Biodiversity * Nurse cropping * Security
Intercropping Inside of SWGH (Temperate) Lettuce + Carrots + Tomatoes + Spinach High nutrient values Best suited for climatic conditions of the temperate greenhouse
Intercropping Inside of SWGH (Tropical) Cucumbers + Banana + Peppers Community is familiar with all crops Best suited for climatic conditions of tropical greenhouse Crop information: Rachel Bernstein. Render of Seawater greenhouse interior and plant palets. Image: Tom Piscina. Figure 48
Intercropping inside the Seawater Greenhouses will enhance the production of crops and foods that balance both the Wayúu’s traditional diet with fruit and vegetable crops aimed for sale and consumption by tourists and visitors (fig. 48).
Each of the two structures will have a different climatic condition: the first SWGH, with a temperate interior climate, is ideal for high nutrient crops like carrots, tomatoes and spinach. The second SWGH will have a tropical or higher humidity interior, supporting crops like cucumbers, bananas and peppers. These food combinations balance Wayúu food preferences and traditional diet with fruit and vegetable crops aimed for sale and consumption by tourists visiting the park’s facilities.
Exterior Crop Production
Cowpea Beans.
Traditional
Adaptation
Adaptation of the traditional Three Sisters: Figure 49
Rita-Bouriyu, Wayuu growing a mix of corn, beans, Yucca and watermelon. Photo: La Guajira Hoy.
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1. Legumes (cowpeas) symbiotic with soil bacteria due to N-fixation. Tolerant of low rainfall, high heat, and degraded soil. 2. Sorghum (low water consumption than corn) + good source for biogas production. Retains moisture. 3. Cassava, sun-loving planT, highly drought resistant.
In the oasis area behind the SWGHs (fig. 50), the humid microclimate, watermelon, melons, beans (Guajiritos) will be intercropped. These will be flanked by tall desert marigolds to deter pests and placed beside rows of humidity-loving citrus trees that also serve as windbreaks. Behind the SWGH, several long terraces that use bunds and drip irrigation will feature what might be considered a Wayúu version of the “Three Sisters.” In place of that traditional medley of corn, beans and squash, the intercropping of cowpeas, a local nitrogen-fixing legume, sorghum (low water requirement) and cassava, a sun-loving plant, will make a symbiotic trio (fig. 49). These terraces will also feature “agrivoltaics,” the practice of collocating rows of PV arrays above the linear rows of crops (fig. 51 & 52). This arrangement provides partial shade that can reduce water loss. These arrays will power the fans and pumps in the SWGHs. Additional terrace cultivation using
Oasis Effect/ Intercropping
Watermelon + Beans (Guajiritos) + Desert Marigold + Orange/Grow well in la Guajira’s climate. Watermelon and beans are companion plants, familiar to the Wayuu diet Marigolds deter pests & are
Terrace Intercropping Adaptation of Three Sisters
potential wind barrier
Oasis Effect ourside Seawater Greenhouse structure, Iage: Rachael Bernstein. Figure 50
Agrovoltaic System. Image: Katie Cordel Figure 51
agrivoltaics will feature several different native shrubs favored by the goats to supplement their grazing.
particular a source of dairy and meat, they are a traditional currency of exchange (Ibid, 2019).
Increased Livestock Production: Because the semi-nomadic Wayúu economy has traditionally depended upon animal husbandry, livestock (herds consist of sheep, cows, and goats) is seen as a symbol of wealth and social status (Contrereas, 2019). Keeping the animals healthy and productive is an ongoing challenge. In this arid climate, livestock grazing can contribute to soil compaction and reduced vegetation cover. The Wayúu have lost as much as 90% of their livestock over the last decade to malnutrition and thirst). Not only are the goats in
Rotational grazing (on a weekly basis) should be practiced within a dedicated area uphill from the agricultural terraces (fig. 52 & 54). The grazing area can be sectioned into four quadrants, with two rows separated in half. This rotation system concentrates the animals for 7 days in each of the quadrants, allowing 21 days for the first quadrant to replenish. This intermittency allows for soil and plant recovery and prevents further desertification (Fuentes et al, 2018). A new raised-floor stable, containing the herd at night, also serves to ease the harvesting of goat dung for the biodigesters (fig. 34 pg. 19).
Agrovoltaic System. Photo: Mark Floyd, OSU Figure 52
Photo: Elena Muñoz López Viejo Figure 53
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Native specie Trupillo
Bulnesia arborea Flowering tree
Libidibia coriaria Small tree or shrub with legumes
Trupilo (Prosopis juliflora)
- All trees; keep pruned to keep small as shrubs under PV microclimates - Establish plants with irrigation to start, then should self-sustain
* This is a very drought tolerant tree. * Nitrogen fixing tree. * Provides protein / shade for goats (Mahgoub 2005). * Its deep roots discourage erosion.
Case study for two seaweed cultivation systems, in four different sites inhabited by Wayúu fisherman communities in the townships of Cabo de La Vela and Carrizal, Guajira Peninsula, Colombia. Image: Raúl Rincones.
Information by: Katie Cordel.
Figure 56
The size of the herds and the lactation productivity of the goats can be increased based upon an intensive silvopasture system (goat-grazing under trees and shrubs) and the use of plentiful native vegetation as fodder, primarily acacia glomerosa, Caesalpinia coriaria, and the Prosopis Juliflora or trupillo (Cardozo-Herran et al, 2019). The trees and PV arrays also provide sorely needed shade for the animals (fig. 55).
Grazing rotation diagram. By: Katie Cordel. Figure 54
Goat seeking for shade. Ph: Elena Muñoz
Figure 55
Seaweed Cultivation In a related enterprise, seaweed will be intercropped with mussels and scallops at a nearby spot along the shore, again, using a permaculture approach (fig. 56/57). Seaweed will be suspended, along with armatures for shellfish, from a floating armature made up of buoys and PVC cable (fig. 58). Seaweed production has had some success in the region. The red alga Kappahycus alvarezii has been successfully tried in a co-developed installation. This species is a major source of carrageenan, which is commercially farmed in Southeast Asia and East Africa and for which a reliable market exists (Rincones, 2006). Carrageenan is used to thicken, emulsify or preserve food and drinks, and is often found in yogurt as well as meat products. This enterprise could help secure the livelihood of the Apalaanchi, or “those that live by the sea,” who rely mainly upon artisanal fishing. (Ibid, 2006). (See also Apendix C).
26
Seaweed cross section helps us understand better how the system looks like in the sea. With its buoys, anchors and strings. Image: Raúl Rincones. Figure 57
Culture string on smaller rope
The grid design has anchors, buoys and strings to hold the seaweed into place and provide its grow. Diagram by: Crisitna Terricabras. Figure 58
DEVELOPING A LOCAL MICRO-ECONOMY The Wayúu’s autonomy and cultural identity are under threat not only from a degraded environment but also from an economy in jeopardy. Their subsistence agriculture and pastoralism, which until recently afforded their minimal reliance on the outside world, are both in decline. Their artisanal woven bags and hammocks, which have found appeal in the international market, remain a vital economic asset. However, many weavers are forced to travel great distances to sell their goods, and few are able to reap the benefits of the significant mark-ups associated with the international market. These factors have forced many Wayúu to migrate to urban centers. In Alta Guajira, the result is grave economic distress, to the point that malnutrition is rampant.
The Prospect of Eco- and Ethno-Tourism
Points of interest in La Guajira peninsula. Diagram by: Gabrielle O’Grady. Figure 59
Eco-tourism in general, and ethno-ecotourism specifically, have real potential to provide economic activity at the site. Sustainable development of this emerging industry is a current goal of the national government. La Guajira’s rugged beauty, where painted-rock desert meets isolated beaches fronting crystal-clear waters, makes it a natural destination for adventurous tourists. In addition to beach watersports such as windsurfing and kite surfing, visitors are drawn to natural landscape features such as the Manaure salt flats and the dunes of Punta Gallinas. Hiking in the rock formations and birdwatching are popular activities. Day visits to the Macuira National Natural Park and the popular tourist destination of Cabo de La Vela (fig. 61) are other highlights. Ethno-tourism opportunities abound at the site and surrounding rancherías. These range from native cuisine, to artisanal fishing, handicrafts, spiritual ceremonies, and traditional music and dance (fig. 59). While tourism figures as a crucial source of future revenue for Colombia, the Jemeinshu Wuin site’s modest new destination for adventurous visitors is not intended to compete with other resort or hotel developments. Instead, it would serve as an example of “regenerative” tourism , encompassing sustainability, intercultural activities and nature (fig. 60). This unique, lowimpact development will feature culturally appropriate buildings and accommodations made by traditional means and methods of construction. An emphasis on authenticity helps sustain an immersive cultural experience for visitors while supporting the Wayúu culture. Hospitality layout. Diagram by: Genesis Baque, Gabrielle O’Grady. Figure 60
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Hospitality A limited number of visitors, attended to by the local WayĂşu community, will avoid encumbering the land or overwhelming nearby rancherias. The project site will support up to twenty-six overnight visitors across nine buildings, with additional capacity in the multi-use community spaces for day visitors. A series of rustic cabins accommodate two to four people each, while an open-sided hammock pavilion lodges larger groups (fig. 63). All share a separate large public bathroom facility. Energy use is limited to minimal lighting and fan-power.
Accomodation examples in La Guajira, Photos by: Vive Huellas, Lucho Sierra
Hospitality layout. Drawings: Olivia Jorge. Figure 63
Education- Cultural Center
El Cabo de la Vela. Courtesy of Pablo Monsalve. Figure 61
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The center will have offerings for both locals and visitors alike (fig. 64). Instructional activities for the former include Spanish, writing, soil management, livestock rotation, rainwater catchment, building techniques, and health programs. Other incorporated assets include a small library with internet access, field measurement tools, and various technical resources. It will be a place to highlight the Wayuu culture and local traditions, an exchange of local knowledge.
1. Chirrinchi distillery. Photo: Michelle Romero, El Heraldo 2018 2. Goat meat dish. 3. Arepas. Photo: Lucho Sierra. All traditional foods in the Wayuu diet. Figures 66
Community & Visitor Spaces Education/Cultural Center. Drawings: Olivia Jorge. Figure 64
Restaurant/ Multifunctional space layout. Drawings: Olivia Jorge. Figure 65
Hospitality, shared hammock space. Ph: Lucho Sierra.
Both a revived agriculture and new artisanal eco-enterprises run by the Wayúu predicated on their indigenous lifestyle need to be supported through continuous education and training. To that end, a school building and cultural center are included as key features in the design (fig. 64). The cultural center serves as both a visitors information center and a workshop area for craft and cultural activities. It will feature exhibits on the Wayúu people, their history, culture and crafts, while showcasing the campus’ unique circular economy. The large space can also accommodate weaving classes, while native cuisine classes can be offered in the adjacent restaurant and dancing classes in the Enramada, an open, bowered structure. The on-site restaurant (fig. 65) can be a tourist magnet, featuring indigenous cuisine along with conventional food sourced from the Seawater Greenhouses and other local sources. Visitors can enjoy a traditional rum, chirrinchi or yotshi in Wayúunaiki, made from sugarcane water in an onsite distillery (fig. 66). The beverage has both medicinal and ceremonial properties. Asawaa, a new chirrinchi distillery based in Riohacha, run by
72
Wayuu dance. Ph: De Turismo por COlombia.
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internationally-trained principals devoted to local development, could potentially manage this as an outpost and become a partner in the ecoenterprise. All of our site’s proposed activities are meant to help the Wayúu of La Guajira develop a flourishing economy, a concept called “regenerative tourism.” Visitors can enjoy fun and relaxation as at any resort, but here, the experience will include inter-cultural moments. The site itself becomes a tourist attraction, featuring a landscape undergoing ecological restoration by using native species, medicinal gardens, local foodstuffs, and structures for bird-watching. The different features and technologies will be connected through walking trails and bike paths, see example, (fig. 67) Food Security Two appropriate technologies help with food storage--food to be consumed on site, or sold locally--and reduce post-harvest losses: 1) a solar food dehydrator: for food preservation using the natural process of rising hot air without direct sunlight to maintain nutritional value). 2) a solar refrigerator: inspired by another solar fridge used in a different part of La Guajira, this is a newer more efficient model of the same brand, energy efficient, so its cost and size are reduced. Traditional Wayuu dances La Yonna carries “symbolic charge” and 3 principles - “Social equality, collective solidarity and the improvement of relations between the human being and the Cosmos” -- woman follows the man, and movements are inspired by movements of birds and animals. Photo by: Wilfredor. Wikipedia
Tourists lodging at retreats can enjoy beach activities as well as help work n the Seawater Greenhouse.
Topiaris Landscape Architecture, Pova de Santa Iria, Portugal. PORTUGAL. Photo by: Joao Morgado Figure 67.
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Solar refrigerator
Solar Dehidrator Solar Dehidrator. Drawing: Idalia Ferreras
Other Enterprises One of the vernacular-styled structures will house a craft market, allowing community members and those in the region a place to market their goods. These may include woven items, food products (fruits, vegetables, legumes, salted fish produced on site, aloe vera leaf products to soothe sunburn, artisanal salts (culinary or cosmetic), and a wide range of traditional herbal medicines, among others items (see Appendix C). An objective of the market is to encourage WayĂşu craftspersons to further develop their economy, gaining entrepreneurship and learning marketing skills. Together with the small hospitality industry, the market affords an opportunity to mingle with the international travelers who may assist with those processes. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF-ing) is a worldwide movement linking volunteers with growers to promote a cultural and educational exchange experience around organic food production. This Alta Guajira campus would make a novel setting for this activity. Agricultural and silvopastural activities could involve WWOOF-ers as well as visiting students and tourists. All can engage with activities in the greenhouses, tend the orchard, help with water collection, or take on goat-tending. (Se also appendix C).
Wayuu Women . Courtesy of Vive Huellas.
Wayuu mochilas. Courtesy of Lucho Sierra.
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CROSS-CUTTING COMPONENTS & RESILIENCY
will be developed to be restorative and regenerative by design, minimizing negative impacts on the site or elsewhere, while eliminating waste from the overall system.
As a development scenario with the potential of wide replicability in all locations along La Guajira’s Caribbean coast, the project embraces sustainable development principles as well as resiliency strategies. It directly addresses at least 12 of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: alleviating poverty and hunger; promoting good health and wellbeing; providing clean energy, clean water and sanitation; quality community education; economic growth; gender equality; youth and childhood, innovative infrastructure; and climate action. Just as all of these goals are interdependent and symbiotic, so are the deliberately planned responses and component solutions.
Given the simple nature of the program’s resources at hand--solar and wind energy, renewably produced freshwater from saltwater, predominantly native crops and plantings, local animal products, and locally extracted materials--the production/consumption cycle is almost exclusively restricted to the site and turns all water and nutrient waste within the site to good use. With the incorporation of biodigestion and composting practices, little to no waste accumulates that requires exporting. Diagrams included in Appendix B show the cascading of energy and resources by sector. These also identify the few significant external resources required for the project construction and operation. The programmatic activities throughout the park, complementing the technologies, innovation, education and visitor’s center, are designed to ennoble the Wayúu’s unique traditional culture and permit a fluid exchange of knowledge between foreign visitors and the Wayúu.
Fostering Resilience and Climate Adaptation Resilience and adaptive capacity are at the heart of the project. With the likelihood of increased water stress under future climate scenarios, provision of adequate water and food for the community is a central objective. As the Seawater Greenhouse system is modular, it can be readily expanded to increase outputs.
United Nations.
Cross-Cutting Framework The project development is designed as a whole-system initiative, one built on a system of integrated resources and closed-loop flows, such that exclusion of any of the main components will subtract from the performance of the whole as a planned “circular economy.” The campus enterprises
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While the development of the project campus is sited fairly close to the sea, in selecting each of the facilities and components, practical consideration was given to the resiliency of each in the face of rising sea levels and storms. The simplicity of the Seawater Greenhouses’ framing and the modularity of its components makes it demountable if it needs to move to higher ground. In case of strong tropical storms during the rainy season, damage can be reduced by removing the tent fabric and securing the individual plant beds. The Warka tower can also be demounted and tied down. As for the complex’s buildings, repair can be readily done with local materials and labor. The wind turbine can be shut down. The photovoltaics, fairly low to the ground, can likely withstand rough tropical winds. The batteries and charging station will be housed within a secure, water and wind- proof structure, clad to emulate traditional structures.
CO-DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL This academic exercise and its resultant final vision followed responsible research of local traditions and conditions in the Alta Guajira region. The conceptual plan as developed represents practical solutions that have high potential of working under the relatively harsh climatic conditions, and in alignment with the Wayúu’s traditional culture. For the actual implementation of the project, a critical step in the development process will be “co-creating” the whole-system approach and component solutions together with the Wayúu community along with the strategic partners of the project, example of a meeting, (fig. 69). Involvement of all the actors from the concept to the construction and delivery guarantees transparency, accountability and develops buyin from the community. The process will integrate multiple perspectives (governmental, private corporate non-profit sectors) in order to foster a common detailed vision—one that takes into account bottom-up and top-down strategies in a crosscutting conversation. Most importantly,
The above meeting illustrates an example of the co-creation process with the communitites. Photo: Gustavo Doria – OP Cancillería. Figure 69.
it will empower the Wayúu people to proactively integrate their cultural practices and governance structure into the operation and maintenance of the campus creating a sense of ownership that will make the project sustainable over time. A co-development plan has recently been defined in collaboration with two social scientists who are experts in community development. A strategic plan, divided into five stages, has been drafted that will assure a continuous transparent communication process with the Wayúu traditional authorities living in the immediate area of Media Luna. Multiple workshops and encounters with the different families will be implemented at each stage. The first and most essential activity will be identifying the traditional authorities constituting the governance structure and land rights ownership, both a means of introducing the Wayúu to the necessity of working in partnership with multiple parties in a joint initiative.
Wayuu women in Rancheria, Ph: Fernando Vergara. National Geographic.
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THE JEMEINSHU WUIN PROJECT: SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS
Appendix A includes a list of potential new jobs that the project could create, approximately 50 full-time and 25 part-time. Appendix B includes diagrams of energy and resource flows by sector Appendix C contains additional supplementary information about the technology and tourism.
Confronting climate change, Wayúu settlements are under stress from water scarcity, lack of infrastructure, education, preventable diseases, corruption and crime, and pressure from incoming refugees. Despite individual international and national humanitarian responses, there has been little progress in raising the Wayúu standard of living. Such interrelated stresses create a condition of unique complexity. This pilot proposal for a modest infrastructure and economic development project attempts to manage this complexity using a holistic design approach. It proposes a critical combination of interacting, practical solutions for revitalization and resiliency of Wayúu livelihood and culture. Using intermediate technologies centered on food and water production, the project takes into consideration both traditional and new systems that can be operated under collaborative local management so that resource users become co-producers. The campus’ intimate, human-scale activities, seamlessly integrated into the harsh environment, which invite and accommodate eco- and ethno-tourism, can support healthier social and economic development, one that can be an exemplar for the region as the nation seeks to promote eco-tourism. A robust humanitarian response to the Wayúu’s plight simply cannot be addressed piecemeal by the government, business sector or civil society acting alone. Leaders of an open-ended network of multiple organizations in this case will need to work together towards common goals. A “megacommunity” planning process offers a framework for combined engagement of multiple entities across sectors. It undertakes robust, “focused conversation, deliberate development of leadership capabilities, and a mutual, results-oriented action plan” (Kelly et al, 2009). During the pre-development phase of the Jenmeinshu Wuin project, outreach must be conducted to identify and conscript the initial stakeholders as key members of the megacommunity, who will work together throughout the entire development process, bringing in other participants as needed along the way.
El Cabo . Photo courtesy of: Vive Huellas
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REFERENCES Arapé, A.J.M., and Reverol, C.L.P., “Los sueños y su importancia en el pronóstico y tratamiento de la vivienda de los wayuu en Venezuela,” Gazeta de Antropolgia ( 2008) No. 24, 2, Articulo 54.
Mahgoub, Osman, Isam T Kadim, Neil E Forsberg, Dawood S Al-Ajmi, Naseeb M Al-Saqry, Abdullah S Al-Abri, and Kanthi Annamalai. “Evaluation of Meskit ( Prosopis Juliflora) Pods as a Feed for Goats.” Animal Feed Science and Technology 121, no. 3 (2005): 319-27. Pérez, L.A., “Los wayuu: tiempos, espaciosy circunstancias.” Espacio abierto 13, no. 4 (2004): 607-630.
Cardozo-Herrán, M., Ayala-Burgos, A. Aguilar-Pérez, C., Ramírez-Avilés, L., Ku-Vera, J., and Solorio-Sánchez, F., “Productivity of Lactating Goats under Three Grazing Systems in the Tropics of Mexico.” Agroforestry Systems, 2019, 1-9.
Power Columbia website, “La Guajira: Colombia’s Wind Power Center, https://epowercolombia.com/la-guajira-colombias-wind-power-center/ (Accessed July 9, 2020).
Contreras, D. “The Integrated Spatial Pattern of Child Mortality during the 2012−2016 Drought in La Guajira, Colombia” In Sustainability (2019) 11: 7190. 10.3390/su11247190.
Ramirez, J., and del Valle, J.I., “Local and global climate signals from tree rings of Parkinsonia praecox in La Guajira, Colombia,” International Journal of Climatology Vol. 32, Issue 7, 15 June 2012, 1077-1088.
Contreras, D., Voets, A., Junghardt, J., Bhamidipati, S., and Contreras, S., “The Drivers of Child Mortality during the 2012-2016 Drought in La Guajira, Columbia. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 11,87-104 (2020).
Rincones, R.E., “The Jimoula Initiative: seaweed farming as a sustainable alternative for the development of coastal communities in the Guajira Peninsula, Colombia.” World Seaweed Resources, 2006.
Da Silva, D.F. Gomes, “Impact of Desertification on the Livelihood and Health of the Wayuu People of the La Guajira Department, Colombia,” Master’s Thesis, University of Zurich, 10 January 2019.
Sanchez Jabba, A. “El gas de La Guajira y sus efectos económicos sobre el departamento. Cartagena, Colombia,” Banco de La Republica, 2011. https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/el-gas-guajira-y-sus-efectos-economicos-sobre-el-departamento (accessed 071011).
Figueroa, N.P., and Guillermo, O.J., “Mirada a la cultura wayúu, base de su sistema normativo.” (2014) Verbum 9(9), 109-117. Fuentes, J., Varga, D., and Pintó, J., “The Use of High-Resolution Historical Images to Analyse the Leopard Pattern in the Arid Area of La Alta Guajira, Colombia.” Geosciences 8, no. 10 (2018): Geosciences, Oct 2018, Vol.8(10). Hostein, N., “El pueblo wayuu de la Guajira colombo-venezolana: un panorama de su cultura.” Cuadernos de Antropología Vol. 20 Núm. 1 (2012). Human Rights Watch, Letter to OECD Secretary General re: Colombia’s accession, Washington D.C., October 27, 2017. https://www.hrw.org/ node/310715/printable/print (Accessed 071020).
TeleSUR News, “Human rights groups demand Colombia protect indegenous children, 18 December 2015. https://www.telesurenglish.net/ news/Human-Rights-Group-Demands-Colombia-Protect-Indigenous-Children-20151218-0037.html (accessed 070720). Vergara Gonzales, O., Los Wayúu: Hombres del desierto. In La Guajira: de la memoria al porvenir. Una visión antrópologica. G. Ardila, ed. (Bogotá: Centro Editorial, Universidad Nacional de Colombia) pp. 139-162. Vergara Gonzales, O. Vides-Prado, A.P., Carmago, E.O., Vides-Prado, C.< Orozco, I.H., Chenlo, F., Candelo, J.E., and Sarmiento, A.B.et al. 2018. “Techno-economic feasibility analysis of photovoltaic systems in remote areas for indigenous communities in the Colombian Guajira.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 82: 4245-4255.
Kelly, C., Gerencser, M., Napolitano, F., and Van Lee, R., “The Defining Features of a Megacommunity,” Reflections, (2009) Vol. 9 Issue 3-4, p. 3642. Llambi, L.. “The Venezuela‐Colombia borderlands: A regional and historical perspective.” Journal of Borderlands Studies 4, no. 1 (1989): 1-38.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Jemeinshu Wuin Project is a conceptual design for a modest sustainable development project for the Wayuu peoples. It is based upon the idea of having the Wayuu co-develop (in partnership with various strategic partners), and co-construct and operate a multifaceted enterprise. It promotes the idea of a shared and self-governed “commons” (commercial, agricultural and infrastructural) to combat poverty, food insecurity and water scarcity in Colombia’s northernmost department, La Guajira. The genesis of the project grew from an earlier suggestion by two Colombian graduate students enrolled in the sustainability program, Veronica Franco Londoño and Nury Martinez Gutierrez. This project was assigned as a 9-week (multidisciplinary) group design initiative for the elective, Case Studies in Sustainability, taught by Professor Hillary Brown in the spring semester of 2020, under the interdisciplinary Master of Science Program: Sustainability in the Urban Environment, at the City College, City University of New York. Co-Authors: Hillary Brown, FAIA, Professor, with Veronica Franco Londoño and Nury Martinez Gutierrez, with written contributions from the design teams below. Design Team: Genesis Baque, Rachel Bernstein, Katherine Cordeal, Yennifer Diaz Moscoso, Idalia Ferreas, Presleigh Hayashida, Jason Iwanesky, Devon James, Olivia Jorge, Ignacio Lopez, Gabrielle O’Grady, Manel Espadaler Paret, Aparna Ramanathan Ramesh, Kenia Peralta, Thomas Piscina, Carolina Salane, Patricia Smith, Joseph Sollod, Qasim Suhail, Cristina Terricabras. Assistants: Veronica Franco Londoño and Nury Martinez Gutierrez Book Design by Veronica Franco Thanks are due to the interdisciplinary Sustainability in the Urban Environment Program’s contributing divisions: The Grove School of Engineering, the Division of Science, the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership and especially to the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture.
Breathtaking susnet in La Guaira, Courtesy of Pablo Monsalve
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Breathtaking susnet in La Guaira, Courtesy of Pablo Monsalve
La Guaira, Courtesy of Vive Huellas
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APPENDIX A Potential new jobs that the project could create:
The project could create, approximately 50 full-time and 12 part-time once built. It will create a multiple number of jobs in addition, through the process of co-creation, design and OPTION 1 construction. PROJECT COMPONENT/AREA # PART TIME # FULL TIME TOTAL JOBS Infrastructure JOBS JOBS Seawater greenhouse 12 12 24 Water 2 2 Sanitation 2 2 Energy 4 4 Subtotal Infrastructure 12 20 32 Food Security Agriculture 7 7 Aquaculture 4 4 Subtotal Food Security 0 11 11 Micro-Economic Development Toursim 8 8 Cultural center, market & school 4 4 Subtotal Micro-Economic Development 0 12 12 TOTAL JOBS 12 43 55
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Chart by: Nury Gutierrez
Goat Grazing, Photo by: Jennifer Dunn
Photo by: Bread of Hope
Food Security project by Acciรณn Contra el Hambre foundation. Photo by: Notas Rosas
APPENDIX B Water & Sanitation Provision, Soil Improvements-flow diagram
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES
A Circle Economy for the Wayuu of Colombia
Soil Management (Carolina)
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Diagram by: Hillary Brown
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Water & Sanitation Provision, Soil Improvements-flow diagram
External Environment
Local Environment - (sun, sea and atmosphere)
SWGH external intercropping
SWGH internal intercropping
fruit trees marigolds guajiritos watermelons
carrots lettuce spinach tomatoes melons peppers cucumber bananas
seaweed cultivation mariculture
agro-PV terrace intercropping
agro-PV goat food
cowpeas sorghum cassava
trupilp caesalpinia lididibia bulnesia arborea
o
farming implements
o
reduced fertilizer purchase reduced pesticide purchase
o
dairy & meat o
restaurant
seeds for growing crops novel to region
local consumption
Diagram by: Hillary Brown
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Eco-Enterprises & Ethno/Ecotourism â&#x20AC;&#x201C; flow diagram
External Environment
Local Environment
permaculture
seaweed / mariculture
salt preservation/ solar drying/ solar fridges
distillery
eco-hotel
recreation
Seawater greenhouse
market
restaurant
classroom
traditional medicines
community facility
o brine to Manaure production o construction materials for buildings o equipment for distillery o materials for solar stills o locally produced crafts
cultural center/ workshop o university & school personnel o La Guajira tourism companies
Diagram by: Hillary Brown
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Autonomous Energy Production, Storage and Use â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Flow Diagram
Local Environment
External Environment
Solar Food Dryer
Photovoltaic Panels
Anaerobic Digester
Cooking Gas
Microgrid 1 Phase I Reverse Osmosis - SWGH
Market
Workshop/ Classrooms
Eco-Hotel
Diesel Generator
Restaurant
Lead Acid Batteries Charging Station
Microgrid 2 Phase II
Photovoltaic Panels Wind Turbine
Army Base?
NIC National Grid
Fans - SWGH
o construction materials for microgrids o battery o photovoltaic panels o diesel generator o charging station
o remote residents
o future connection to national grid
Local rancherias
Local Environment
Diagram by: Hillary Brown
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APPENDIX C Equipment specifications by: Qasim Suhail
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Industrial Solar Fan (60 inch)
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Submersive Solar Pump
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Surface Solar Pump
.
Natural Inputs
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Floating Spheres
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Reverse Osmosis Machine
POWER CONSUMPTION…………....
Seawater is a direct input for three important processes: • Evaporator (Cool) • Ceiling Pipes that provide heated seawater to Evaporator (Hot) • Condenser Airflow is also a direct input for three important processes: • Evaporator (Cool) • Evaporator (Hot) • Condenser Sun is direct input for two process: Heating seawater in ceiling pipes Photosynthesis in crops
Technological Inputs
Source: Qasim
Source: Qasim
Seawater Depth Specifications by: Devon James
Solar Pumps: Pump deep seawater to surface of land where greenhouse exists and pump seawater up into ceiling pipes Solar Fans: Maintain constant air flow Backup for air on less windy days.
Latitude/Longitude: (12°14’17.22° N, 72°0’ 35.81° W) Depth: 29.9 mt. • 10 meters seawater deep (optimal for constant flow) • 6 meters from shore (to avoid higher elevation and chlorophyll blooms near coast) • Seawater Temperature: 76 degrees (preferred from least energy needed for cool and heating) • 50-70 degrees F for ideal water/energy usage. Seawater • The average water temperature experiences some seasonal variation over the course of the year. in la Guajira. • The time of year with warmer water lasts for 2.7 months, from August 24 to November 16, with an average temperature above 82°F. The day of the year with the warmest water is October 7, with an average temperature of 84°F. • The time of year with cooler water lasts for 3.4 months, from December 31 to April 10, with an average temperature below 78°F. The day of the year with the coolest water is February 8, with an average temperature of 77°F.
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Power System Schematic by: Patti Smith
The mechanical and electrical systems are a very basic and the components can mostly be sourced locally with the exception of the Reverse Osmosis machine.
batteries (car batteries). The solar panels can be affixed to the roof of the SWGH sheds on site. The batteries allow the system to continue to run during times with no sun.
The SWGH is comprised of three main systems Pumping System: Power System: Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis: The RO machine is the component that is specialized equipment - which will be discussed later in the presentaion
The pumping system moves water from the sea through the SWGH and eventually to the drip irrigation system The power system is a simple solar PV array combined with a lead-acid
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The Solar Stills while not part of the SWGH technology will be fed using the SWGH pumping system.
Programatic, and Local Economy opportunitties by: Jason Iwanesky - Olivia Jorge Considerations • Scale- small; demo / on-campus (pilot project in conjunction with Asawaa?) • Alcohol is regulated • Alcohol abuse is issue (requires high level of sensitivity)
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Chirrinchi (“Yotshi”- Wayunaiki)
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• Artisanal Rum • Made from water and panela (local brown sugar) • Culturally important- rituals (weddings, funerals); medicinal • Strong marketing story (Mexican agave meets “Island-style” rum)
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● amazon.com
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amazon.com
● 5 L H20 ● 1 kg raw sugar ● 1.5 oz yeast
● 1 L Rum
● Wood
mpulsetravel.co
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Programatic, and Touristic/ Visitor activities by: Gabrielle O’Grady
learn
relax
have fun
create & feel good about it!
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Seaweed applications: by: Cristina Terricabras
Native plants
NATIVE PLANTS: Use of local vegetation by: Jason Iwanesky
asawaa.co m
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What I was thinkin for the back cover
Flamingos Natural Sanctuary in La Guaira, Courtesy of Vive Huellas