Dr. Raúl Montenegro: Biologist, Professor of Evolutionary Human Biology at the Department of Psychology (National University of Córdoba, Argentina) and Director of Campus Córdoba of Right Livelihood College (RLC). He’s the recipient of the Global 500 Prize of the United Nations, the Alternative Nobel Prize (Sweden 2004) and the “Nuclear Free Future” Award (Austria 1992), among other titles and achievements. “First it was the fire crisis, now it’s the water crisis”. “It will take centuries for nature to recover””We need more territorial intelligence”, “Biodiversity has never been measured at a provincial level.” “More than 350,000 hectares were burned in a province that only has 3﹪ of its forests left in good condition.” These are some of the statements that Professor Montenegro affirms after having dealt with wildfires in the past few months in the province of Córdoba, Argentina.
“You can’t plant biodiversity.” “We don’t know all that was lost”
When were the wildfires reported in the province of Córdoba, Argentina?
This year. There were two waves of wildfires: one in the month of August, and the more destructive one that started on September 21st and continued uncontrolled in many places up to the beginning of October.
Do you think these fires were deliberately caused, or were they a result of climate change?
In Córdoba, the majority of the wildfires are caused deliberately. There are three industries that have traditionally benefited from wildfires: GMO agriculture, cattle raising, and real estate businesses. For these industries, the native forest is a nuisance and an obstacle.
How big is the environmental damage in the province of Córdoba?
Our province doesn’t regenerate every year. Damage adds up. Right now, the environmental situation is the worst it’s ever been, because more than 350,000 hectares were burned in a province where only 3% of its forests remained in good condition. It had already had a deforestation rate of 5,000 hectares per year. It’s also a time of greater historical vulnerability to drought, heavy rainfalls, and global climate change.
“Our province doesn’t regenerate every year. Damage adds up. It’s also a time of greater historical vulnerability to drought, heavy rainfalls and global climate change.”
How long will it take to recover? Is it true that it will take 30 years?
Any projected figure is unreliable and technically incorrect. It’s not about trees and shrubs replacing trees and shrubs. We’re talking about biodiversity, something that governments don’t understand and that universities have done little to explain. Biodiversity has to do with viruses, bacteria and fungi. It encompasses vertebrae, insects, green plants, and hundreds of thousands of interconnected species that we don’t even know about. Biodiversity self-recovers from native environments that haven’t been deforested or burnt to places that have been burnt and destroyed. We call this secondary succession, a gradual process with progressive results that takes decades to centuries.
“Biodiversity self-recovers, we call this secondary succession, a gradual process that takes decades to centuries.”
Raúl Montenegro
What does it mean then that Córdoba has lost biodiversity that isn’t even known of?
Effectively, we don’t know all that was lost. We just know the more dominant and visible species, not the smaller aspects of biodiversity, and much less the invisible ones. We don’t even have biodiversity maps. Biodiversity has never been measured at a provincial level. That’s why I say that what’s been happening in Córdoba is a tragedy of incalculable dimensions.
Does reforestation work? That’s the solution that governments usually present to restore what’s lost.
You can’t plant biodiversity. It’s malicious to make society believe, as Juan Schiaretti’s (Provincial Government of Córdoba) government continues to do, that planting trees will help the forest recover or will help native grasslands that didn’t have trees to begin with. Only the biodiversity that we still have can reconquer environments with reduced or lost biodiversity. But of course, in Córdoba there were 12 million hectares of native forests at the beginning of the 20th century. Today just 360,000 hectares remain in good conservation condition. The natural task of recolonization will require much more time than the rough two centuries during which most of the province’s biodiversity was destroyed.
“Only the biodiversity that we still have can reconquer environments with reduced or lost biodiversity. The natural task of recolonization will require much more time than two centuries”
Raúl Montenegro
What containment measures have the authorities taken amidst this ecologic catastrophe? Do you think it’s been enough?
The volunteer firefighters did a great job, but they were bogged down by the magnitude of the fires. And the provincial government, unbelievably, delayed their request for support from the national government and other provinces in Argentina. Unfortunately, since they don’t understand what biodiversity is, they can’t even measure all that was lost. Since they didn’t take sufficient measures then, the Córdoba government’s efforts haven’t been enough. But besides being ignored, this is suspiciously convenient for some economic sectors that perpetuated the destruction of native environments for their projects of high environmental impact.
What environmental effects can we expect after the fires?
We have to keep in mind that the most serious fires were recorded in mountain areas, where most of the water that we drink is derived. Devoid of protective vegetation and biodiversity, instead of infiltrating and nourishing the giant rigid sponge that is the mountains, rain water will run along the eroded ground surface; carrying sediments with organic material, phosphorous, and nitrogen to rivers and lakes. To start, necessary components for winter 2021 are in danger, which is our dry season. Furthermore, phosphorous and nitrogen will worsen the cultural eutrophication of San Roque and other lakes, with their odorous overpopulation of toxic blue-green algae. Siltation will also increase, meaning the filling of water basins with sediments.
What other impacts will this so-called water crisis have after the wildfire crisis?
The answer lies in recent history. In 2015, a violent flood of the Ceballos river resulted in nine deaths and environmental destruction. None of those people should have died. But of course, we’re in Córdoba, one of the worst environmentally-managed provinces in Argentina. The government’s negligence allows for deforestation and the mismanagement of the Provincial Fire Management Plan. This year, Juan Schiaretti’s government didn’t practice prevention. They kept a disjointed network of Volunteer Firefighter Vigilance and during the wildfires in September they delayed their request for national help and help from other provinces. That’s why attorney Juan Smith and I have filed a lawsuit against them. What has happened can’t go unpunished.
To finish up, what solutions should be put into action to mitigate these water and fire tragedies?
Córdoba can’t afford any more deforestation or burning of native land. There’s no room for it. Instead of these inefficient and unclear plans of reforestation, the government should help nature recover on its own. But they should rethink the Program of Provincial Fire Management, which has proven to be a failure. There should be year-round prevention, the budget should be doubled and volunteer firefighters should recruit Regional Consortia members, people who are trained so that everyone operates in sync. They should protect the lives of the people and their wellbeing, but they should also protect native biodiversity. Finally, the governor should learn that the water crisis is solved by protecting watersheds, not by building a canal with an incline from the Paraná river. We need more territorial intelligence and we urgently need a map of the little biodiversity that’s left in Córdoba.
“Córdoba can’t afford any more deforestation or burning of native land. There’s no room for it”. “The governor should learn that the water crisis is solved by protecting watersheds”.
Raúl Montenegro
Translator: Zach Beacher