It’s World Lake Day! From the thriving Uru Uru Lake in the high Andes of Bolivia, we do not only take this day as a way to remember the importance of lakes in providing beauty to this world; in exchange, we also use this day to renew our commitment to keep fighting alongside our lake in this everyday battle against climate change and biodiversity extinction.
Uru Uru Lake now stands among the top five largest lakes in Bolivia, as it has moved up after Lake Poopó, the second-largest lake in Bolivia, disappeared as a result of mining and plastic contamination. Every day, this list where lakes disappear seems even scarier because it happens in real life, everyday: when we see parts of Uru Uru Lake dry up, when we see flamingoes dead or harmed by stray dogs, or when plastic seems more present than the very same lake’s water.
However, it also reminds us that accompanying our lake in this battle is more important than ever, because our lake is not simply a name on a list. It is our Qota Mama, our Mother Water. It has life in every single flamingo and in most of the 76 bird species it hosts.
Throughout 2026, we have continued our restoration efforts through our totora plantation, developing a restorative phytoremediation approach to help the lake’s water recover from plastic and mining contamination.
Along the way, we have received not only the support of our local volunteers, but throughout this year, we have also welcomed beautiful international visits from our very same Iris Project mentor, Alicia Amancio, as well as larger groups of high school student volunteers from the USA and Europe who, together with us, have gotten their hands dirty and experienced what real, on-the-ground work to restore our Mama Qota looks like.
Through this work, we have understood the value of making people understand the living concept of our lake more than ever, and it all started by going back to and enlarging our environmental education work.
Through beautiful initiatives such as implementing the first hydroponic plant in the local community school near the lake, organizing beautiful birdwatching contests, and ultimately launching a beautiful children’s book to reminisce about the value of our lake as a living entity, written by our very same co-founder, Dayana Blanco, Wara, Flami and the Totoras tells the story of our restoration journey with the Uru Uru Team.
But more than ever, it transmits the message that we must renew our commitment to stand alongside our lakes around the world in this battle. We understand that new generations must also join this fight.
We aim to continue expanding this work through exciting initiatives with amazing partners like The Iris Project, with more to come soon.
And we can only ask readers, on this day, to value and unconditionally fight alongside us for life, which is what lakes represent nowadays.
Jallalla!
Written by: Gustavo Blanco Quiroga
