The Pollution Crisis of Lake Amatitlan

Lake Amatitlan, once a popular destination for weekend getaways, has become severely polluted due to untreated sewage and waste from surrounding municipalities. This pollution has resulted in a loss of income for local businesses, hindering the economic potential of the area. Efforts to clean the lake face significant challenges, with past attempts mired in corruption and ineffective solutions, such as a government contract that provided a largely useless cleaning product. The current cleaning initiatives require substantial funding and collaboration with local leaders, but the financial resources are inadequate for the scale of the cleanup needed.