{"id":8170,"date":"2023-12-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/less-rain-less-shade-more-people\/"},"modified":"2024-12-09T17:18:55","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T17:18:55","slug":"less-rain-less-shade-more-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/less-rain-less-shade-more-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Less rain, less shade, more people"},"content":{"rendered":"

You are invited! Join us for Climate Pollinators, a webinar series on creation care. See below!<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

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January to April is the rainy season in Guayaquil, a port city on the coast of Ecuador. But this past year, says Sara Noemi Viteri Moreno, a member of Iglesia Jesus el Buen Pastor (Jesus the good shepherd, a Mennonite church) in Guayaquil, it hardly rained at all. <\/p>\n

Sara Noemi Viteri Moreno is an environmental engineer who helps lead the youth program at her church.  <\/p>\n

\u201cIt has stopped raining the way it used to,\u201d she says, \u201cand that makes it so it\u2019s hotter.\u201d She suspects these trends are linked to something else: decreasing tree cover in the city. <\/p>\n

\u201cClose to the church, there used to be these trees that were really old,\u201d Sara Noemi Viteri Moreno says. But about five years ago, the city removed them. <\/p>\n

Since then, there is less shade and the increased heat is notable, Sara Noemi Viteri Moreno says. It\u2019s not just those trees. All around the city, trees have been cut down as the population increases. \u201cThose trees brought rain to this area,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

With over three million residents, Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador, and it\u2019s constantly growing. Many of the newcomers are Ecuadorians from rural areas, but the city has also been receiving an increasing number of refugees from outside the country, mainly from Venezuela. <\/p>\n

Since 2015, Ecuador has received more than 500 000 refugees fleeing political turmoil, violence, poverty and economic and social insecurity in Venezuela. In Guayaquil, many end up living by the rivers, under bridges and in parks. <\/p>\n

United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC) describes climate change as a threat multiplier. It \u201cworsens social, economic and environmental pressures, leading to social upheaval and possibly even violent conflict.\u201d <\/p>\n

Immigration of refugees from Venezuela means that destinations like Guayaquil become more crowded. People cut down forests and build near rivers. This leads to problems like landslides and flooding, says Sara Noemi Viteri Moreno. <\/p>\n

 In the church, \u201cWe aren\u2019t very conscious about what is happening.\u201d <\/p>\n

However, they are supporting Venezuelan refugees. Over the years, the church building has served as a temporary home for families searching for work and housing. Congregants have provided newcomers with mattresses to sleep on, food to eat and clothes to wear. <\/p>\n

\u201cMigration means there are more people in one place,\u201d says Sara Noemi Viteri Moreno. \u201cThere aren\u2019t any more places to get established anymore.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a part of climate change. It\u2019s one of the problems we can start with.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2014Sierra Ross Richer is a member of Waterford Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana, USA. She is an intern with the Anabaptist Climate Collaborative (ACC).<\/a> This story from the ACC\u2019s Lent Climate Pollinator Series: Global Anabaptist Stories on Climate Change<\/a> is reprinted with permission.<\/em> <\/p>\n

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