Part 2 - Case study: the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve

PhD project: Spatial Expansion of the Oil Amazon Frontier and Environmental

Conflicts in Ecuador

Università degli Studi di PadovaUniversità degli Studi di PadovaScuola di Dottorato in Scienze Storiche

PhD Student: Eugenio Pappalardo Supervisor: Dr. Massimo de MarchiDipartimento di Geografia “G. Morandini”

Indirizzo “Geografia Umana e Geografia Fisica

Research Path

• investigating the human-environment interaction within the MTF biome in the Ecuadorean Amazon in f(t) and f(s) • mapping the modernizing processes for substution of land cover• investigating the environmental conflicts (multi-actor, multi-scale)• evaluating the biodiversity conservation and local development projects

• bibliographic and cartographic research• quantitative and qualitative research on the field• GIS and Remote Sensing analysis• ground truth

• environments of conflicts• cases study

General Objectives

Territorialization processes for substitution of land cover

The Amazon Basin

deforestation rate: 2 milioni ha/year (Myers, 2004)

hydrographic basin: 7 million km2

flow rate: 100-300.000 m3/srainfall: 2000-4000 mm/year

Hydrographic network

Amazon Basin: high density networkEnvironmental System

Dep. of Geography, University of Padova - Eugenio Dep. of Geography, University of Padova - Eugenio

Pappalardo, PhD studentPappalardo, PhD student

TERRITORIALIZATION PROCESSES IN AMAZON

Modernizing territorializations:

- Exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves

- Large scale agriculture activities

- (il)legal wood extraction activities

Based on terrestrial communication infrastructures

Local territorializations:- traditional agriculture activities- community based ecosystem managementBased on hydrografic basins

External actors

Internal actors

(NASA, World Wind software)

Geographical framework and study site

- one of 17 Countries with the biggest biological diversity (WCMC, UNEP, 2004)

- the biggest species number of vertebrate on 1000 Km2 (IUCN, 2001)

- the biggest number of endemic species endemiche su 1000 Km2

- 25.000 species of vascular plants. 75% native species and 27.3% di endemism(IUCN, 2001)

- between the first Countries for absolute number of species of amphibian, birds e butterflies

Biodiversity Biodiversity HotspotsHotspots (Myers, (Myers,

2000): 2000): - West Ecuador - Tropical Andes

Megadiverse CountryMegadiverse Country (Myers, 2000) (Myers, 2000)

Geographical and territorial framework

Area: 256.370 Km2

• 52.5% indigenous people• 40% metice• 8% afro and creols

indigenous communities• Quichua• Siona/Secoya• Cofàn• Wuaorani• Shuar• Achuar

Population:12.5 millions (INAC, 2006)

•Local communities

•Oil blocks

•Protected areas

•Indigenous reserve

•Untouchble zone

study site

Biodiversity conservation and sustainable development

Biodiversity Hotspots (WCMC, Myers, 2000)

Classification System: protected areas categories IUCNClassification System: protected areas categories IUCN

CITES, RAMSAR, CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY SPECIESCITES, RAMSAR, CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY SPECIES

Biosphere Reserve (MAB, UNESCO)Biosphere Reserve (MAB, UNESCO)

ZoningZoning

Species Species dispersion and dispersion and genetic fluxgenetic flux

(Primack, 2004)

CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (Rio, 1992)

open system

MAB (UNESCO, 1971): RISERVE DELLA BIOSFERA

Integrating the fieldwork research of Natural Sciences with Social Sciences

Compatibility models between ecosystem protection and sustainable development projectBenefit to local community

The Auca Road

• road extension (1985-1986): from 1830 to 7250 (400% rate)

• every linear km = 120 ha

deforestation

One of the 14 bigger deforestation front at global level (Myers, 2000)

(Sierra, 2006)

AR

EA

DI

ST

UD

IO Ecuadorean Amazon Region

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Vasca di raccolta idrocarburi (San Carlos, 2010)

Pompa d’estrazione, rilievo GPS (Via Pindo, 2010)Sversamento petrolio, (Dayuma, 2009)

MS Channel, QuickBird, 2003)

Espansione spazionale

Extractive Industry (not renewable)

driveropening road (deforestation)

landcover change

Territorial dynamicsOverlapping of different territories (different projects)Confrontation of different model of developmentWater logics vs terrestrial logics (Bertoncin)

agrarian colonization(non traditional activity)(colonos, agroindustry)Oil infrastructures

landuse change

opening road (deforestazione)

use of territory • petroleum colonization

• agrarian colonization

Parallel processes in f(t)

Convergence processes in f(s)

Footprint of territorial processes of substitution of land cover

territorial macro-models

Territorialization for “sampling”Territorialization for substitution

Cartographic and bibliography investigation

• Scientific and sector letterature• Gray letterature• Conference, seminars, workshop

• IGM cartography• satellite images• thematic cartography

Materiali e metodi

• Quantitative and qualitative information (spatially explicit)

• Georeferenced photos

• Georeferenced interviews

San Carlos, attività di campo 12/01/2008

ParticipatoryGIS (PGIS)

• acquisition of cartography on the field• participation in the GPS survey• sharing of all the geographical information• participative ground truth

• participatory approach in collecting, processing and managing data• access to geodata and technology• social learning • community empowerment• conflict management(Rambaldi, 2004; Chambers, 2006)

“Truckble”

GIS ANALYSIS Km lineari

Totale km percorsi 1980

Tracciati MAE (2009) 280

Tracciati GPS survey 381

Differenza 101

Rilievo GPS:• paved roads: 55%

• unpaved roads: 30%

• viable roads: 15%

FIR

ST

RE

SU

LT

– G

IS A

NA

LY

SIS

PR

IMI

RIS

UL

TA

TI

– A

NA

LIS

I G

IS• PNY limits• buffer zone• land ownerships

Local actor: colonosStatal actor: GMO, INDA

Local actor: wuaorani Statal actor: MAE (PRAS)

indigenous reserveuntouchble zoneoil productionillegal wood extraction

PR

IMI

RIS

UL

TA

TI

– A

NA

LIS

I G

ISBiosfera Yasuni: conservation and conflicts

• acquisizione sul campo carta catastale INDA• rilievo GPS: limiti del PNY • interviste semistrutturate comunità Nueva Esperanza •operazioni di georeferenziazione• analisi GIS

Rilievo GPSM

AT

ER

IAL

I E

ME

TO

DI

GPS device: garmin e-trex error: 4-6 mt su strade (90%)

10-15 mt sotto land cover (10%)

Mezzi di trasporto:

• risoluzione spaziale più fine• agilità e praticità• evoluzione spaziale

canoa

moto enduro

• comunità indigene autoctone (Quechua, Wuaorani)• accesso alla RBY

missioni sul campo1. missione (Ecuador, febbraio, 2010):• esplorazione ed organizzazione logistica• indagine bibliografica (FLACSO, Università)• indagine cartografica (IGM, MAE)• definizione area di studio (frontiera, aree degradate, ambienti di conflitto) • mappatura attori• attivazione contatti

2. 2. missione (Ecuador, aprile, 2010)• logistica e accessibilità sul campo• attività di campo (El Coca, Via Auca)• indagini qualitative

3. missione (Ecuador, luglio-agosto 2010)• indagini quantitative e qualitative: espansione della frontiera agricolo-petrolifera• attività di campo: rilievo GPS, ground truth, interviste semistrutturate, osservazione partecipante• analisi GIS sul terreno

4. missione (Messico, dicembre 2010)• Conference of Party (COP16) on Climate Change• interviste a organizzazioni indigene e contadine (CONAIE, Via Campesina, ONIC)

Mercato indigeno, barbecue di gusanos (El Coca, settembre 2010)

thanks for paying attention