San Pedro River Rescue Collective (SPRRC)

The presentation

The San Pedro River Rescue Collective (SPRRC) was founded in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, by a group of citizens alarmed by the deteriorating condition of the San Pedro River in Quito. Like many rivers in the city, the San Pedro suffers from severe pollution caused by inadequate wastewater treatment and improper solid waste disposal.

What began with 50 committed neighbors has grown into a network of over 1,000 volunteers, led by 4 community leaders and supported by 15 community council members. The collective’s mission is to be the voice of the river, to advocate for its protection, restore its waters and work toward a future where people can once again swim in it.

The collective's work combines environmental action, cultural traditions and political advocacy. Its activities include mingas, ancestral community workdays focused on cleaning and restoring the riverbanks and nearby Algarrobos Park. These efforts are often followed by pambamesas, communal meals that celebrate collective labor. The group also integrates art and spirituality into its practice, organizing rituals, music and offerings to honor the river and strengthen the community’s connection to the Pachamama (Mother Earth).

Beyond grassroots action, the collective participates in policy advocacy and legal processes to defend river rights. It has taken part in the lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government for violating the rights of the Machángara River, a main tributary of the San Pedro.

Through this combination of hands-on restoration, cultural revitalization and institutional engagement, the San Pedro River Rescue Collective is working to transform the river’s health but also the relationship between the community and its waterways.

The speakers

Maribel Pasquel, MA in Project Management, with studies in Psychology and Business Management. Coordinator of the San Pedro River Rescue Collective and representative of the Guardians of the Machángara River. She has been actively involved in citizen-led actions to promote the recovery of Quito’s rivers, participating in outreach, community action, and public policy advocacy.

Tannya Pico is an Ecuadorian architect with 25 years of experience in urban planning, construction, research and higher education. She holds a PhD in Urban Development and Governance from Erasmus University Rotterdam (IHS), where her research focused on nature-based solutions in cities. Her career spans work in the United States, Spain, the Netherlands, Ghana, Bangladesh, Mexico and Ecuador, including leading the architectural direction for the Quito and Galápagos airports. She has consulted for organizations such as the Global Centre on Adaptation, UNDP, GFA and GIZ on urban sustainability, municipal capacity building, and resilient infrastructure. Tannya is currently a project manager at the Institute for Urban Excellence in The Hague and a professor in the Master of Urbanism with a specialization in Climate Change at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.

Natalia Alvarado is a PhD Architect, lecturer, and researcher in urban sustainability, focusing on socio-ecological urban design, green infrastructure, and ecosystem services. Her work promotes resilient, inclusive, and human-centered public spaces.

Lisa María Madera, PhD is a writer, scholar, and artivista whose work explores how narratives shape our relationship to the Earth. A founding member of the Colectivo Rescate Río San Pedro, she weaves community through river restoration and global environmental advocacy. A 2024 Climate Parent Fellow, her work includes supporting the Escazú Accord, participating in the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature’s Global Parliament, and engaging with Parents for Future Global.

Nicole Ponce is an urban resilience practitioner whose work bridges knowledge sharing, cross-sector collaboration and communications. As Associate for Knowledge and Communications at the Resilient Cities Network, she leads the global Cities on the Frontlines speaker series and supports initiatives across Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. She holds an MSc in Urban Management and Development from Erasmus University Rotterdam and a BFA in Architectural Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Attending the presentation

You can join the presentation via Teams. The presentation will take place on Friday 17 October at 16:00 CET on Teams. Click here to enter the Teams portal.

The River Cities Network presentation series

The River Cities Network presentation series is an online platform for teams in the River Cities Network (RCN) to introduce their river-city case study projects to other members of the network and to an external audience. Teams have approximately 30 minutes to present their projects, after which there will be approximately 30 minutes for discussion. RCN teams that are interested in presenting can contact rcn@iias.nl.