Tags
aguaji el matal ecuador, beach loss 2014, beach specialist, coastal erosion ecuador, effects from sand mining, effects from taking sand from beaches, el matal ecuador beach loss, geotubes, is it legal to take sand from the beach?, restoring sand to beaches, Sand Mining
Waving valiantly, this flag joins many others in El Matal’s fishing fleet.
At noon on Valentine’s Day, many fishermen were not with their boats – they were attending the public meeting about their vanishing beach.
El Matal (Manabi) Ecuador
Residents of El Matal and concerned citizens from nearby areas displayed a united front at the public meeting to discuss the critical status of the eroding beach. Engineer Daniel Santata, a coastal specialist, joined the Minister of Pescadores and the Director of Risk (Portoviejo), though the meeting began without the presence of Mayor/Alcade Alex Cevallos.
Where beach restaurants once punctuated the public beach, a withering young palm stood guard while 70-plus locals gathered for the community meeting.
Because of difficulty in understanding sometimes rapid-fire Spanish, and straining to grasp what I heard through the outdoor acoustics, I apologize in advance for errors in translation. The essence of the meeting follows. Z
Daniel Santana advises to act now – the consequences are muy grave.
Stressing that time was critical, and the situation was muy grave (very serious) Sr. Santana said that Coco Beach Village is more at risk than El Matal because of lower elevation. (The home featured in “It’s Devastating” is located in Coco Beach Village.) He said that a short term solution needs to be in place for Coco Beach Village before the end of March. Reminding us that normal aguajis come every two weeks, he said that variables like strong winds could make them more destructive.
He also said that rocks and walls are not solutions. Rocks will speed the erosion, and walls will eliminate the beach and are unlikely to be stable; they will collapse. (When he said this, I wanted to stand and applaud! Finally! A specialist confirmed my concerns -see: Nature Bites Back- Nature Speaks.!)
Geotubes, strategically placed, would be less costly and could start rebuilding sand immediately. Fishermen could fish, tourists could swim and the residents could again feel safe in their homes.
Ministry of Fisheries said that the President wants El Matal developed. Last year the municipality was advised to begin work to protect the beach; the municipality was to follow up and did not.
Fishermen, home owners, concerned neighbors from Jama – all joined forces to show a united front.
Like a student showing up for final exams without prepping for the test, our mayor did show up, just before the meeting was over; he said that the municipality has no funds to help. (What criteria of importance made him place sidewalk construction ahead of saving the beach?)
Two weeks before the February 01 destructive aguaji, the municipality was building sidewalks for El Matal!
The Director of Risk from Portoviejo said that the cost of the study and solution is often shared 50/50 with the municipality, but if the municipality really does not have the money another department may fund 100%.
As the mayor defended his opinions, the panel of experts illustrated united body English as if to say, “Don’t blame us! We’re here to help!”
Sharing wisdom gleaned from experience
After the meeting, Raquel Brito urged Mayor Cevallos to listen to (and respect) Daniel Santana’s counsel. We are hopeful that government red tape does not delay immediate action.
Comparing notes – after the meeting. El Matal Ecuador
Daniel Santana explains the critical status and what should be done NOW!
Our mayor, Alex Cevallos, takes Daniel Santana’s telephone number. Yes!
After the meeting, I asked Senor Santana if removing beach sand from an area a few miles up the beach would affect El Matal. “Yes,” he said and added, “but taking sand from the beach is prohibited.”
We chuckled and said that it might be prohibited, but people have been doing it for years. He repeated, “Beach mining is prohibited. Beach sand should never be moved by machine.”
A few miles up the beach at La Division…. (2012)
La Division to Don Juan
Engineer Santana stressed the need to act now. As we watch chunks of concrete and asphalt crumble into the ocean, an overwhelming majority agrees – No More Delays! Make El Matal a top priority!
Restaurants once anchored the beach-side entrance to El Matal. Will help arrive in time to restore the lost sand?
Like true sands through the hourglass, each wave crashes, reverberates along the coastline and triggers a heavy sense of foreboding to those who endured the recent coastal erosion.
After the meeting, we returned to my friends’ home, perched on a magazine-perfect seating area and gazed across the stunning coastal scene. Each wave brought the high tide closer; my friends and I listened in collective silence. Acutely aware of the ocean and its power, we knew that each wave also brought the next aguaji a little closer. A mood of grief washed over me, and I fought the urge to weep. What must it feel like to be so totally helpless as if watching a bomb tick-tick-ticking down to zero? How could a sound that once lulled one to sleep now represent the threat of destruction?
Our silent communications contradicted the idyllic scene of another day in paradise. The moon waxes to full, wanes to new, and the tides ebb and flow according to the feminine whims of Mother Ocean and Senorita Moon.
Will the community merit emergency status? Will red tape interfere with work that deserves critical status?
Mother Ocean waits for no one; we’re hopeful that no one drops this ball, and the people of El Matal receive the help they deserve. Z
(Thanks, Linda of The Task at Hand, for your continued concern and support and for sharing links about the Geotube use near your area.)
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
The Geotubes sound like a good idea. Are they already in use in some places in Ecuador?
yes, one person mentioned an area called ‘casa blanca’ to the north. he said that the work had been done years earlier and the results were very good. i think there are more applications in the country.
That’s good news then.
What a terrible business. Reminds me of Midwestern Spring floods. I hope you are holding up. We are thinking of you!
thank you, hugh; it’s frustrating that there are so few options, and this is one time when the squeaky-hinge approach might be helpful.
all’s fine on the river; only after periods of extreme rain and flooding will the river affect this last bend. the loss of mangroves here is always a concern at that time, as there is no natural vegetation to hep slow the current. in another month, the risk will be over for another year, unlike at nearby el matal, where the summer solstice will preside over more spring tides.
i am glad to be home where i can keep an eye on the ocean and the river. thanks again! (it’s raining now) lisa/z
Z, this is so darn frustrating. Lack of funds, political corruption, disregard for environmental concerns, greed….it infuriates me! When people get excited because the mayor writes down a telephone number…to me, that’s worrisome. That’s happened to us many times on an important issue in Moyogalpa. The mayor comes late to a meeting, he acts concerned, writes down a telephone number…as if he’s really going to investigate the problem, and we never hear anything again. Sigh! The Geotubes need to be started NOW! I feel your pain. I’m hoping this issue is resolved quickly and you secure the funds to put in the Geotubes. Although it isn’t funny, I laughed at your pic of the body language..the crossed arms…the frustration. Oh my!
thanks, amiga! you’re right about the telephone-number, though at first it appeared he’d totallly dismissed this coastal authority, but after raquel explained that he has over forty years of experience, the mayor showed more interest.
i’m glad that you laughed at the photo! sometimes one does not need to speak the language in order to understand what others think!
Does anyone have knowledge of who mined the sand from the beach? Possibly if they were known they could be convinced to help pay for the solution that their actions may have caused.
very astute question/suggestion!
i sigh; i think that a lot of that sand was trucked out under the care of our municipality, and i am not sure, but i was told that much of that sand was used to when the highway improvements were made.
many people use beach sand for construction – i asked one friend, an architect, what his feedback was concerning the use of beach sand for construction, and he replied, ‘they’re idiots.’ unfortunately, many still use this material.
at one point, a large mound of beach sand was stockpiled near the local clinic, but i am not sure where that material was used. thanks for the suggestion; it would be great if someone had to answer for the loss of that beach.
z
it’s happening right here Joan
This must be so frustrating, and I can certainly understand the heartbreak and feelings of helplessness. I’m so sorry! Best wishes for a speedy and sensible resolve to this important issue!
thanks, cindy, from your vantage point ‘way up there, for caring about what’s happening here on the equator. i think that some people forget that our planet is one large entity, and what happens in one area eventually affects the health of the rest of the world.
i hope that i’m soon writing about the coastal improvements and more respect given to our natural resources. z
I laughed at that body language, too. It’s about the only thing amusing in the situation. The photo taken from the house makes the situation abundantly clear.
The duneline has been moving for years in Galveston, and because of Texas’ property laws, houses that were legal have been thrown into contested status. Once behind the dunes (legal) they suddenly found themselves in front of the dunes. The property owners didn’t do anything wrong, but neither did mother nature. Interesting, as well as distressing.
Let’s hope your Mayor realizes sidewalks aren’t going to be of any use if the town slowly disappears.
i hope that the ocean minds her manners for the next few months, and hopefully the geotube plan will move forward quickly. it’s very surreal to be sitting in a home that once had a vast amount of sandy beach and is now vulnerably exposed.
thanks for the feedback about galveston: ” The property owners didn’t do anything wrong, but neither did mother nature.” — that must be very alarming to have your home ‘crawl’ to the front of the dunes.
i’m not surprised that you also found humor in that photo!
Thanks for this update, Lisa. Praying for everyone on the coast!
Hugs from Cuenca,
Kathy
thank you, amiga; we’re hoping that the work begins soon. it gives them hope – esperanza, a word that sr. santana used when he addressed the group. z
I love seeing a community pull together for the common good.
thanks, naomi! yes, it was great to see so many people show up for th e meeting. even a few business owners from jama attended; when one is facing uncertainty, it’s nice to have the community stand behind you in support!
I have heard that beach sand is the wrong sand for any kind of construction. The constructions won’t last. seems like everyone wants a cheap way of doing things and it wrecks havoc with mother nature. So Sorry about all this, Lisa. Those arms crossed is a classic picture.
thanks! you’re so right, and in the end it becomes more costly.
i’m glad that you enjoyed that crossed-arm photo! z
yes to look at the beauty and at the same time want to weep is a dichotomy we face daily right now… may the forces that be focus on saving this stretch of Ecuador’s coast and our home…it’s the only one we have.
thanks, naomi! yes, it was great to see so many people show up for th e meeting. even a few business owners from jama attended; when one is facing uncertainty, it’s nice to have the community stand behind you in support!
I’m hoping that cooler heads prevail and they really consider the Geotube that was used up North. Unreal what is happening, they can see what is going on, but don’t want to acknowledge what is coming down the pike – something smells with this Lisa.
i trust your sense of foreboding and will keep my antennae tweaked… thanks!
i’ve been unable to leave a comment on that amazing post of yous where you show the stages of water veil. (slow connection) hopefully this wil get through!
if so, maybe others will appreciate what you’ve done: http://oilpastelsbymary.com/2014/02/07/water-veil-the-drawing-process/
You are too kind – thank you so much Z!
Excellent!! I just posted on facebook. Thank you, Lisa! I’ve been down with a virus and missed the meeting, but we in Matal all appreciate your efforts to get the word out–both the gravity of the situation and the hope, too. You captured both beautifully. Thank you.
thanks patricia.. i watched slow subtle remnants of waves roll up the river at sunset today.. it’s like a living stephen king set… i hope that the ocean remembers its manners.
z
I do hope the mayor will take these community concerns seriously…a very sad situation.
My heart goes out to you and the community in this dire situation. Please know my prayers are with you. Such beauty needs to be savoured and saved. xo Gina
thank you, dear gina!
I love reading about the community coming together and it sounds like Mr Santana is providing the fuel to hopefully cut through any red tape. I hope they act soon!
thanks dominick! i´ve not heard anything this week, and i am sure that the people are watching those waves and are dreading the high tide that arrives at the end of this month.
If they don’t act soon this conversation about saving the community will no longer matter.