An interview with Dr. Bricia ElAwar, an environmental leader with Rotary International

WESLACO, Texas - The city of Rio Bravo in Tamaulipas has more than 250 illegal dumping sites, says an environmentalist with Rotary International.

Dr. Bricia ElAwar, chairwoman of the environmental committee for Rotary District 5330 in Riverside, California, has led efforts to clear the dumps. 

She first visited the city 18 months ago and returned this past weekend with over 100 volunteers to help Mayor Miguel Ángel Almaraz Maldonado with his clean-up efforts.

“Mayor Almaraz has been doing amazing things. He has already cleaned up over 100 illegal dumps."

“The beautiful thing is he is working in the middle of a very dangerous city and he's doing amazing things. He can be example to mayors around the world, in terms of a government dealing with environmental challenges.”

On her first visit to Rio Bravo, ElAwar and her team cleaned up a lagoon so that butterflies, birds, fish could return. But, once the Rotary members left more trash was dumped there. 

“I asked to the Rotarians to set up a meeting with the mayor. He said he would give us 15 minutes of his time but we stayed for one and a half hours. The mayor brought in eight new trucks to collect the trash.”

ElAwar continued: “These lagoons can be beautiful for ecologic biodiversity. It is a great habitat for birds and the Monarch butterfly. If we protect our natural resources, I think mankind can have hope. Right now, I feel like Rotarians believe in what we're doing, and I think some governments are starting to have conscience about protecting their own communities too.”

ElAwar said that for Rotarians, working on environmental issues goes “hand-in-hand” with efforts to secure world peace, having a humane migration policy, and fighting disease. “Everything is connected and working with the government is key,” she said.

Asked how her environmental group came about, ElAwar said: “During the pandemic, COVID 19, I had many sleepless nights. I kept thinking of my family in Mexico that I could not see. I decided to take action. I had previously been in so many countries, helping so many people around the world. I thought, why not help Mexico?

“I wanted to connect with people who are passionate about the river, people who care about their families, and I wanted to have a heart to heart conversation with governments in many (border) cities.”

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is a real quick. And something triggered in your mind, we've got to do more, we've got to do more for the environment. We've got to do more for the Rio Bravo, Rio Grande, and we're going to do more for Mexico. How did it all happen?

SPEAKER_01 0:24

During the pandemic, COVID-19, I had many nights. I cannot sleep. I cannot sleep thinking about my family. I cannot see my family in Mexico.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Whereabouts in Mexico?

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Ciudad Juarez. Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. And I decided to take action. I was in so many countries helping so many people around the world. Why don't help Mexico? I know it's difficult because still man power in Mexico. But this project going with people who is passionate about the river, people who care about their families. And believe me, right now it's hard to hard with government in many cities.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

So is the Rio Grande, Rio Bravo polluted? Is it is that why you wanted to clean it up?

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Rio Grande, Rio Bravo have a uh organization who protect the Rio Grande and is uh less contaminated at so many rivers around the world that are complete polluted. But in some cities we find uh amazing things, like in Rio Bravo, 250 illegal dams. But when we start working with the major in that city, he was doing amazing things and he and his own clean hundred illegal dams.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

100. 100 and how big are the dumps?

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Bigger! I can I can say the next time I can say number of times.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

I can say because we already asked today to him if he can give us the number. But the beauty, the beautiful thing about this uh area is he working in the middle of a very dangerous city. And he's doing an amazing thing. And he can be example for many cities around the world. Around the world. No is uh uh we can we cannot say we cannot do it because we can do it.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

He can be a great example around the world in terms of a government dealing with environmental challenges.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

And his name again?

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Uh Michael Angelo Almaras, mayor of the Rio Grande, uh Rio Grande, uh Rio Bravo City.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

And is this the first time you've worked with Rio Bravo?

SPEAKER_01 3:19

No, this is my second time I come in. This is the second time I visit him. The first time I was the first time I visited him was like a year and a half ago. And I was very, very sad because we cleaned a lagoon. The first time we took 50 tons of trash and solid waste from that lagoon where we can have uh butterflies, birds, fish then there. And the second time I came to finish cleaning that lagoon, and my surprise was it was again full of trash. And we took over 25 tons of trash. And I asked to the Rotarians to have a meeting with the mayor and that time. The mayor gave us 15 minutes to have a meeting with him, and we went all the way to one hour and a half. And from that time, he bought uh eight trucks for collect the trash, and I was thinking because it's a small town, he will buy will be buy used trucks. He bought new trucks. This means before these two cities have one track each city. For this city it wasn't that condition, but now each city has five tracks. Five trucks to deal with absolutely collecting the trash.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

What was the name of the lagoon now?

SPEAKER_01 4:50

Uh Benito, San Benito.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

San Benito.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

See, correct. Correct.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

So you clean it up once and then you went back eight months later and it was bad again. Is that where you're going tomorrow?

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Yes. Yes, we clean in another lagoon, another lagoon. Uh uh right now I don't I don't remember the name, but this is another lagoon, but these tributaries of the Rio Grande. And uh these lagoons can be uh uh beautiful ecologic biodiversity there if we protect can be uh habitat for birds and monarch butterfly if we protect our natural resources and uh I think we have hope. I think right now I feel like Rotarians believe in what we're doing and I think uh government is time start, some government start uh conscious about uh protecting their own communities too.

SPEAKER_00 5:59

How many Rotarians will you take over there tomorrow?

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Probably hundred in each in each city.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Tomorrow?

SPEAKER_01 6:07

Yes. And government and uh couple of schools in each city will be over hundred people.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Yes. Are you like the governor, president of your rotary in California? Are you where where are you based?

SPEAKER_01 6:27

Uh yes. Yes, I I like, but I will I I say we need to get involved in the government. We need to work with uh government, mayors, and all these people to make the correct decision for our natural resources. We cannot leave them alone. We need to start wake up and understand we need to get involved with all this government because we need to protect our natural resources.

SPEAKER_00 7:03

What happens if we don't?

SPEAKER_01 7:04

What if what if because we almost think about will be going worse and worse?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

So, like here in the Rio Grande Valley, there's not a lot of emphasis on the environment because there's a lot of poverty, as you know, and people you know working, you know, two, three jobs, they don't have the civic engagement, they don't get involved, you know, many of them don't vote or can't vote, and so the environment's not top of many people's lists.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Absolutely, but I think what happened around the world is lack of love. Lack of love for human beings, lack of love for natural resources, for environment, for biodiversity. We're losing so many speeches, we're losing so much. What think about it, what we're leaving to our kids and grandkids. Remember, environment goes hand by hand by peace, migration, and disease. Say again, uh immigration environment go hand by hand by peace, migration and disease.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

And disease, correct?

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Yes. Go hand by hand. If we no understand everything is connected, we are far away. What happened? What really happened in the world right now?