Hello! My name is Xavier Jaumejoan, a 28-year-old from Spain, currently studying Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. I’m in the second year of my master’s program, and I’m now conducting fieldwork for my thesis in Ecuador. My research focuses on hydro-extractivism, specifically in how the construction of a dam on the Pusuno River has impacted both local human communities and the more-than-human communities as well, having as a representative of that one the river itself. Even though the dam was built about ten years ago, some families in the area are still fighting against the injustices of the company, making it an ongoing struggle.

I won’t go too much into personal details here, as I’d like to save that for a future blog post. But I can say that returning to Latin America after several years feels great. There’s something unique about this continent, the colours, the people, the nature… Even though the injustices brought about by modern ways of life are impossible to ignore here, they only increase my passion and interest in this region. It’s a place where contrasting emotions coexist, and in the end, you can’t help but love this continent. Moreover, being back after a few years has given me fresh perspectives on how to address these challenges, new ways to get involved, and perhaps the opportunity to create more meaningful and impactful change for the communities here.