Solar Powers Ecuador Amazon River Transport
Tucked away in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, where river journeys are more common than road travel, 21st century technology is powering transport for a group of indigenous communities.
Silent solar-powered boats glide along the Wichimi River, a meandering river road system with dense foliage, transporting 12 indigenous Achuar communities around eastern Ecuador, near the border with Peru.
Non-profit organization, Kara Solar, has supplied five sleek solar-panelled boats to the communities that carry around 1,000 passengers over 300 miles per month. Powered by Ecuadorian sunshine, the boats are shaping an improved daily life with transport for education, health services and eco-tourism.
For years prior to receiving the modern technology, the community had used gasoline flown in from Ecuador’s capital, Quito, to power their boats. This was not only very expensive, but also contaminated the river and released carbon emissions.
Part of the project has been to provide the communities with technical training and skills in solar installation, which is entirely led by Achuar technicians in the Achuar language. The organisation has now built four centres in Ecuador, all powered entirely by solar energy.
Next year, the organisation is set to launch another new project in Ecuador, on the Kapawari River, where 50 gasoline-powered boats will be replaced with solar-powered ones. Four isolated settlements will be connected for the first time along the river, which also serves as a vital sanctuary for endangered pink river dolphins.
The Amazon Rainforest is widely considered to be at risk from deforestation and climate change, a concern which Kara Solar share. Known as the ‘lungs of the planet’, the region is one of our most vital defences against global warming, playing a key role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
