Ixmukane Quib Caal

Ixmukane Quib Caal

Who are you?

Name: Ixmukane Quib Caal
Country: Guatemala
Hello, I am Ixmukane Quib Caal from the town Tactic, in the region Alta Verapaz. I belong to the Mayan group of Qʼeqchiʼ I am a human rights and mother earth defender and advocate in peasant organizations. I study forest engineering, but currently I am contributing to the recovery of some communities that were affected by the storms in the Polochic valley in the north-eastern region.

What is climate change for you?

Climate change is all variations that normally or naturally would not happen. The cause of everything is the treatment of mother earth by us. We humans and more importantly, big industry and extractive industries that exploit and destroy all natural goods such as water sources, forests, and soil.

How does climate change affect your life?

Climate change affects us all directly, with natural phenomena like hurricanes that damage agriculture. Due to deforestation, there is less oxygen, less shade, and less water. Everything is somehow related. These pictures are from different parts of Alta Verapaz, some show the damage left by Eta and Iota storms. One shows the work women do when they carry water due to the drought in the summer season. The other pictures show the damages left by the extractive companies.

Here I am on my way to work in the communities that are affected by storms. Despite the difficulties [due to destroyed infrastructure because of storms and floods] there will always be a way to reach them.

Picture from Alta Verapaz, that shows the damage left by Eta and Iota storms

Damages left by the extractive industries

Women carrying water due to the drought in summer

How do you cope with changes in the environment?

I try to change and recover earth’s life. In warm areas, the excess of heat compacts the soils and leaves them without or with low production. We try to recover moisture in the soil that is needed for the biodiversity. Therefore, we use agroecology techniques such as using fertilizers and planting species that provide nutrients and recover eroded and degraded soils. At the same time, we plant trees so that nature is balanced.

Agroecology shares much in common with other approaches to sustainable farming. Agroecology is farming that “centers on food production that makes the best use of nature’s goods and services while not damaging these resources.” more