The Grandmother Lake - Conservation and Colonialism in Guatemala

"We belong to the lake and the lake belongs to us. It’s our inheritance and we will fight for it ...”

In Central America’s deepest lake, Indigenous communities are battling against a $215m wastewater project proposed by environmentalists. It’s not that the indigenous communities don’t care about their lake - they do, very deeply - but the battle to protect Lake Atitlan in Guatemala isn’t just an environmental conflict, it's the story of Central America’s ongoing struggle with the legacies of colonialism and corruption.

I’m really proud that an interactive piece called ‘The Grandmother Lake’ which documents the struggle of the indigenous communities in Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan has been published today on EarthDay. And it couldn’t have been possible without the time and generosity of so many people around the lake, including Paulina who allowed me to spend time with her and her daughter, Turab Shah who always believed in this project and also @theiwmf who genuinely supported me in every way (including with real hard cash and patience) so I could spend time in Guatemala and then write this 5,000 word piece. Thanks to @aljazeeraenglish for their support and making it happen.

Read the full piece here: https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2021/guatemala-conservation-colonialism/index.html

The piece was a finalist for the Online Journalism Award 2021 Excellence in Social Justice Reporting