On a Sunday morning marked by environmental engagement and international cooperation, dozens of volunteers gathered at Asunción's Costanera for an intensive waste collection effort. The action, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in partnership with the Asunción City Hall, the Chinese Association in Asunción, and groups of former scholarship holders, sought not only to revitalize the beach area and creek banks but also to sound an alert about the environmental crisis affecting the capital.
The event coincided with Taiwan's international bid for participation in the World Health Assembly, under the argument that health and environmental preservation are universal causes that should not face diplomatic exclusions. During the morning, participants received cleaning kits and snacks, managing to remove a significant amount of plastics and other contaminating materials from the region.
Despite the success of the mobilization, the reality of Asunción Bay remains critical. The water body suffers a chronic degradation process due to high levels of fecal coliforms and garbage accumulation. The true origin of the crisis lies in the waterways that flow into the bay: the Mburicaó, Antequera, and Las Mercedes creeks function practically as 'conveyor belts' for untreated garbage and sewage. On days of heavy rain, these channels overflow, dragging tons of debris directly into the Paraguay River and the bay, nullifying any attempt at recreational recovery of the area.
The Asunción City Hall has already reiterated that much of the problem lies in the lack of public awareness. It is common for residents to use stormwater runoff or the creek banks themselves to discard tires, old appliances, household garbage bags, and used diapers. Although current legislation classifies waste disposal in waterways as a very serious offense—with fines that can exceed 20 minimum wages—the lack of rigorous enforcement and deep environmental education allows impunity to continue.
This Sunday's drive shows that there is a sector of civil society willing to work for change. However, these voluntary cleanup drives will only be temporary 'patches' as long as the underlying problem is not addressed: the urgent overhaul of the capital's sewage system and the definitive end to the use of creeks as clandestine dumps.