Sustainability and governance: complexity and contradictions in Ecuador

Sustainability and governance

Complexity and contradictions in Ecuador

Nicholas Anastasopoulos PhD Prometeo Researcher, IAENLecturer, National Technical University of Athens

WOSC 2014 –Ibagué 15-17 October, 2014

Ecuador currently represents a paradigm shift.

Major strategic efforts are being made for a transition to another economic model, less dependent on non-renewable resources. The strategic plan revolves around a vision for a transition from an extractivist to a social and knowledge-based economy.

The Ecuadorian experiment

The Ecuadorian context

Sustainability within a complexity context

Scalar and Multilevel sustainability

Case studies in Ecuador

Governance and sustainability conflicts

A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions

Over the past eight years, Ecuador has been experiencing an undeniable array of changes and reforms. These address issues of equality, justice, education and plurality. In November 2008, Ecuador became the first country to undertake an examination of the legitimacy and structure of its foreign debt. The new National Constitution (2009 ) introduces two innovative concepts in legal history worldwide, marking a significant departure from western thought: The Rights of Nature and the concept of Buen Vivir.

Sustainability is being recognized as a critical goal for every society. Sustainability is a relative, normative, dynamic and contestable term and it indicates the capacity of being maintained in existence without interruption or diminution. (Birkeland, 2002; Edwards, 2010; Fiksel, 2006b).

As a term being approached through many different disciplines, sustainability is heavily discussed and perhaps overused. The term is being freely used in architecture, buildings, infrastructures and the economy.

In addition, given the complex and often conflicting parameters surrounding applicability of the term in various fields and contexts, confusion is bound to arise while usually, the interwoven intricate relationships between societies and their environment tend to be downplayed and misunderstood.






A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions

Scalar Sustainability

Scalar Sustainability

Global

National

Bio-regionalRegional

Local





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions


Multi-level Sustainability

Environmental

Social

Economic

Political



A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions




Global, regional and national Spheres of influence

REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY

The Yasuni Yachay/ The City of Knowledge

Scalar and Multilevel Sustainability diagram for

the four case studies in Ecuador





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions

The FLOK Society project Free, Libre, Open Knowledge Society

LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY

LOCAL SUSTAINABILITYLOCAL

SUSTAINABILITY

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL

GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY

La Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM


Scalar and Multilevel Sustainability diagram for

the four case studies in Ecuador

Amazonia Transition of the economy

Yasuní IKIAM FLOK Society

Yachay

SCALAR SUSTAINABILITY





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions


Yachay, la Ciudad del Conocimiento (city of knowledge), is an ambitious project in the province of Imbabura which calls for the creation of a city around education, research and innovative production. It covers a huge area of 4.200 hectares. Its population at the time of maturity which is meant to be 2045 is expected to reach 120.000.

Yachay, la Ciudad del Conocimiento




A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions



IKIAM will be a research centre integrated with the environment and a university campus that will address the complexity and biodiversity of the Amazon in a highly innovative approach.

La Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM




A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions



FLOK Society ( FLOK stands for Free Libre, Open Knowledge) is a research project which took place between November 2013 and May 2014. It’s main task was to generate policy recommendations for a transition to a knowledge-based economy took place in Ecuador.Recommendation papers produced, as paert of the FLOK Society Research project, address among others an

Institutionality for Social Economy and for a Public Policy for a Partner State, Open Technical Infrastructures on Free Hardware and Software, Connectivity, Cyber security, Commons-oriented Productive Capacities on Distributed energy and sustainable agriculture, Open and free culture, Transitioning to a commons-based society and the Territorial Organization of the Knowledge Economy.

FLOK Society





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions


Yaneer Bar-YamNew England Complex Systems Institute

Governance categories





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions


Governance and Sustainability

Es imperante resaltar que gracias al aprovechamiento responsable de nuestros recursos naturales no renovables se han fortalecido los sectores de salud, educación, infraestructura, y es producto de esta renta petrolera que podemos potenciar la estrategia de desarrollo de nuestro país, en tal sentido con nuestros recursos naturales bien invertidos podemos mejorar y desarrollar nuestro talento humano para salir del extractivismo, y consolidar una sociedad del conocimiento, es decir “usar el extractivismo para salir del extractivismo”.

It is imperative to note that thanks to the responsible use of our non-renewable natural resources we have strengthened the sectors of health, education, infrastructure, and thanks to the product of the oil revenues we can enhance the development strategy of our country. In this sense it is through our resources natural well spent that we can improve and develop our human talent to emerge from extraction, and consolidate a knowledge society, ie "use extractivism to exit the extractivism" .

Speech to the National Assembly (Rivadeneira Burbano, 2013, p. 2)





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions

Governance and SustainabilityThe Ecuadorian

context

Diagnosis of Sustainability in a high diversity environment





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions

Global environment Indigenous communities

Research, education and visitors

Petroleum industryOther economic activities

1

2

3

4

5

AMAZONIA

M

oM

oM

oM

o

o

o

o

E

E

E

E

E

2

3

4

5

1


M

AMAZONIA

oM

oM

oM

o

o

o

o

E

E

E

E

E

2

3

4

5

Global environment Indigenous communities

Research, education and visitors

Petroleum industryOther economic activities

1

2

3

4

5

Stability and conflict resolution

6

Synergy7

167





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions







A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions



The managerial approach of getting things done efficiently and while sticking to an original schedule and vision or strategy, has been the leitmotif of the country’s governance model.

This has occurred to the expense of recursiveness and sufficient space of assessment and dialog. This has meant more concentration of power to fewer bodies and individuals, and less distribution of decision-making responsibilities. The result is often a breakdown in communication and exchange of vital information. Self and bottom-up organization is at odds with centralization. Provision for appropriate, all-inclusive recursive systems will allow for assessment of data and flexible responses.





A VSM diagnosis

Conclusions



The Ecuadorian experiment has succeeded in introducing positive changes towards social progress and in achieving improvement in education, health and public services and access by all people. The strategic plan addresses scalar and multilevel sustainability through various projects, some of which were introduced here.

In order for the economy and the social well-being to be sustained to the present levels, the present model of development is dependent on extractivism and until a transition to a non-extractivist economy has been achieved it is unrealistic to de-link social sustainability without oil extraction for the foreseeable future. But this will not be enough.

In order for negative feedback cycles to be broken, an alternative model of post-growth economy needs to be adopted for environmental sustainability .

A recursive governance model needs to be examined for social and political sustainability.

Thank you!

Nicholas Anastasopoulos PhD Prometeo Researcher, IAENLecturer, National Technical University of Athens

Sustainability and governance: complexity and contradictions in Ecuador

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