From Sacred Waters to Toxic Streams: The Troubled Legacy of the Motagua River and Our Path to Restoration

By Daniela Ramírez

Flowing from the Guatemalan Highlands to the Honduran Caribbean, the Motagua River once held great cultural and economic significance to the Maya civilization. The river was considered the domain of Chaac, the rain deity, and served as a road transport route since it allowed them to navigate to the Caribbean Sea. The river’s basin, rich in jade, marble, and other resources, was crucial for trade and cultural exchange, driving economic growth and connectivity.

But, more than 1000 years later, the Motagua River holds a darker legacy, with over 5 million people relying on its waters, the river has been transformed into a massive flow of garbage. According to Guatemala’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the population living along the river generates about 40 million pounds of trash every year, only to be dumped into the Caribbean Sea. This stream of waste has created a toxic cocktail for the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world, now fighting for survival under a blanket of garbage that chokes out the sunlight.

A Diplomatic and Environmental Crossroad

Honduras has been drastically drowned in this environmental catastrophe. Trash from the Motagua River has been inundating Honduran beaches, particularly affecting the coastal town of Omoa, once renowned for its crystal-clear waters. Since 2021, the mayor of Omoa, Cortés has been reporting that during the rainy season, up to 60 tons of waste are collected daily, costing approximately $4,000 a month to clean up. The situation has intensified into a diplomatic standoff, with Honduras threatening legal action against Guatemala at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

EPIC Methodology to the Rescue

Over 50 allies of international organizations like 4Ocean, UNDP, and Care Plan, among others, have teamed up with Honduran and Guatemalan governments over the years to tackle the issue, by developing the EPIC Methodology, which consists of Education, Public Policy, Infrastructure, and Strategic Communication. One of their most significant projects has been installing floating booms in the river to catch trash before it reaches the ocean. So far, they’ve managed to pull out more than 100,000 pounds of garbage. Despite the enormous amount of effort that came out of these initiatives, the trash keeps coming, and without a serious overhaul of waste management practices in Guatemala, this crisis won’t end anytime soon.

So Why Did the River Get This Bad?

In rural areas, communities lack proper disposal systems, forcing people to dump their trash into the river, as well as the lack of proper education on waste management and effective public policies to address the issue. According to the article El Motagua grita… Educación y políticas públicas addressing the pollution crisis requires a comprehensive approach that includes improving public awareness and implementing robust waste management policies. Without these critical measures, the cycle of pollution continues unchecked, worsening the environmental degradation of the river.

The level of pollution that the Motagua River has, creates severe health impacts on the surrounding communities. Some of these health concerns include the spread of waterborne diseases, respiratory issues, and increased exposure to toxins. Besides these direct health impacts, this issue also exacerbates food security. The communities that surround the river rely on fishing and farming near the river and the level of contamination affects both soil and marine life.

Boyan Slat, the CEO of Ocean Cleanup, stated that “the plastic emissions caused by the Rio Motagua even surpass the global CO2 emissions generated by all the airplanes in the world.”

How Do We Become Part of the Solution?

The Motagua River story is a reminder of the delicate balance between nature and human impact. The future of the river, and especially the communities surrounding it, depends on the collective effort of all of us. Becoming part of the solution involves a multifaceted approach: supporting local clean-up initiatives, advocating for effective waste management policies, and fostering community awareness about sustainable practices.

Innovative Ways to Get Involved

Organizations like 4Ocean offer opportunities to participate in beach cleanups and plastic removal initiatives. Volunteers can also join hands-on clean-up events or organize local ones to prevent waste from reaching critical waterways like the Motagua.
Technologies like the floating booms used in the EPIC Methodology are catching on globally; you can support NGOs and governmental projects that implement these trash traps.
Advocate for waste separation and get involved with advocacy for waste separation programs and local recycling initiatives.
Education is a key part of the EPIC Methodology. You can contribute by volunteering with environmental education programs or simply raising awareness in your community.

Daniela Ramírez, Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy student at The Fletcher School at Tufts University