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Original article: Vecinos de Quillota retiran 90 toneladas de basura del río Aconcagua y piden actuar antes de que llegue El Niño

Residents of Quillota have successfully removed 90 tons of waste from the Aconcagua River to prevent serious flooding and fires in light of the confirmed arrival of the El Niño phenomenon. The community is calling for urgent intervention from authorities in the watershed and is proposing to turn the illegal dump in the area into a communal park.

Over a hundred community members from Quillota have removed 90 tons of waste from the Aconcagua River this year and have planted native species during community cleanup days, bringing attention back to one of the watersheds most affected by climate change in Chile. The community warns that an illegal dump—spanning about 44 hectares in the riverbed and banks in Quillota—poses a critical risk with the heavy rains anticipated due to the recently confirmed El Niño by NOAA, prompting the proposal to create a communal park as a permanent solution.

On Saturday, June 13, residents of Quillota, alongside the Modatima movement, the REC Recycling Cooperative, the NGO Women and Free Rivers, and nearby neighborhood associations, removed 50 tons of debris and waste, planted 10 native trees, painted signs, and blocked an access point utilized as an illegal dump. This was the fourth day of a campaign aiming to remove 100 tons by 2026.

“I grew up in Quillota, and during the pandemic, when we couldn’t go out much, this river was a place to breathe,” stated Francisco Reyes Paz, an anthropologist, Quillota resident, and campaign spokesperson. “Today, as an organized community, we have removed 90 tons of waste. However, there are still sections that function as illegal dumps, and with the impending El Niño expected to bring heavy rains, that waste could lead to flooding in winter and fires in summer. That’s why we need the authorities to protect the Aconcagua River now on a permanent basis. If the river matters, this is the moment. If not now, when? It’s a matter of preventing disasters,” Reyes emphasized.

The urgency is backed by scientific evidence. On June 11, NOAA confirmed the arrival of El Niño, estimating a 63% probability of it reaching a “very strong” category, projecting it will bring the most intense rains recorded since 1950. For the central region, this creates a dual threat directly tied to river waste: in winter, rising waters can carry thousands of tons of debris, worsening pollution and increasing flood risks; in summer, that same debris becomes fuel for wildfires. Therefore, the time to act is now.

“I don’t know when people forgot about the river and started mistreating it and polluting it. What was there no longer exists. Just a latent memory in Quillota of what the river used to be. Now it’s dry because we only get water sporadically, the flora dies, and the fauna is nearly gone, hidden away; it can barely be seen, not like before, not as I would have liked to show my children,” shares Claudia Fernández, a Quillota resident and volunteer.

Beyond cleanup efforts, the campaign suggests a lasting solution: a communal park that restores the river, connects its wetlands, prevents recontamination by monitoring illegal dumping, and returns a space for families to gather. The experience in Quillota—four cleanup days, 90 tons removed, and reforestation with native species—has become a model for citizen-led socio-environmental governance that can be replicated in other watersheds across the country.

Despite the challenges, there remains hope. “I never knew the river as it once was. I grew up hearing about how wonderful it was: full of water to swim in and spend afternoons by. It pains me to say it, but now we have a dump in front of our homes. But I don’t believe everything is lost: it’s our turn to act so the Aconcagua can be what it once was,” recounts Felipe, a 17-year-old resident living by the river in Quillota and a volunteer in the initiative.

La entrada Quillota Residents Remove 90 Tons of Waste from Aconcagua River, Urging Action Before El Niño Arrives se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.