Flying into Augusto César Sandino International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Augusto César Sandino), one can’t help but marvel at the rugged beauty of Lake Managua (Lago de Managua). This lake is Central America’s largest fresh water lake, but due to unfiltered and untreated waste from residents, businesses, and industry, this natural resource is toxic and unusable.

But today marks the first step in reversing the damage caused by 82 years of dumping human and industrial waste into Lake Managua’s water. According to this article on IPS News, a water treatment plant which began construction in 1997, has began operation on the shores of the lake - processing up to 180,000 cubic metres a day. It will take at least 50 years to reverse decades of neglect.

Unfortunately, many of Nicaragua’s water resources are extremely polluted and most are not blessed with any water treatment. Without clean water, families are put at risk of contracting malaria, dengue fever, and genetic diseases caused by toxins.

Needless to say, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to help future generations and cleaning up Lake Managua is an important symbolic step. Finding the resources and political will to clean the environment and developing pride in one’s natural resources are big challenges which requires both government and citizens to act together.

Children in Old Bank play in the water at the pier. The harbour in Bluefields is polluted with solid waste and untreated waste water.

This shoreline in Bluefields can easily be any shoreline in Nicaragua. Dumping garbage into the water is a common practice.

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