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DRAFT

PROGRESS REPORT No. 1

DESIGN OF THE GEOGRAPHIC-ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE OF THE CHICHIBALI REGION

(GEGISCHI) AND DESIGN OF THE PRELIMARY INSTRUMENT FOR THE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY

Alexander Coles

Period- June 18 to July 23, 2010

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DESIGN OF THE GEOGRAPHIC-ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE OF THE CHICHIBALI REGION

(GEGISCHI) AND DESIGN OF THE PRELIMARY INSTRUMENT FOR THE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY

1. INTRODUCTION

I am currently engaged in the production of a Geographic-Environmental Baseline of the Chichibali

Region (GEGISCHI). For the past month I have been searching and gathering spatial data and other

information to produce a geo-referenced database on a series of spatial attributes within the Dos Bocas

River Watershed. At the moment, the major geographic attributes for this baseline are: green areas, road

infrastructure, physical-geographic objects and communities.

The major idea behind the construction of this baseline is that in the near future more spatial data can be

added to support different research or planning endeavors conducted within the institutional umbrella of

the Chichibali Foundation´s Community-Education Center. An example of this would be the vegetation

and ornithology studies, soon to begin, can be added to this spatial database.

The area of interest for data gathering and analysis has an extension of approximately 25 Km2.

It central

population center, the town of Manglarito, is located about 7 Km North from the center of Sorá, an

important population center of the District of Chame.

Cartographically speaking, the area is contained within two qaudrants of the topographic sheets

produced by the Instituto Geografico Nacional Tommy Guardia (IGNTG), both of the Series E762, namely

the South-Eastern quadrant of the San Pedro and the North-Eastern quadrant of El Valle, respectively

corresponding to sheet 4142 II and sheet 4141 I. Figure 1 depicts the formal area of interest.

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Figure 1.1. Area of Interest

2. ACTIVITES, PRODUCTS AND SUB-PRODUCTS

From June 18 to this date I have been involved in the following activities:

Field reconnaissance and geodata gathering

Design and development of the GIS baseline

Advising, discussion, designing, and production of a preliminary version of a household survey

instrument to be soon applied in Manglarito.

A brief description of each of these, with specific examples, follows.

2.1 Field reconnaissance and geodata gathering

I have visited the area for reconnaissance and for the gathering of field-based geodata in two occasions,

namely July 2 and July 22, 2010.

During the July 2 visit, I was accompanied by two members of AE staff (office and field staff) as well as

two students from the University of Missouri. The agenda for the day had outlined three tasks to

accomplished: (1) to collect data points of special geographic objects on the field; (2) to take pictures of

the area that will be used for further analysis and to start a longitudinal-based photo collection, and (3) to

advance on the gathering of preliminary household-based information to serve as input for the design of a

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survey to be applied in the near future to members of the community of Manglarito in order to develop a

baseline as input for the elaboration of AE’s collaborative-participatory outreach plan with the community,

as part of AE’s social responsibility agenda.

Once on the field heavy rain started to pour and totally impeded to accomplish satisfactorily two of the

points in the agenda: Geodata gathering was not completed; photo shooting was partially completed. The

gathering of preliminary household and community information was completed satisfactorily.

On July 22, we returned to the field to complete the uncompleted tasks from our previous visit. The group

was large and we were favored by good weather conditions. It was sunny for the most part, with some

rain at the end of the visit. Dr. Raj Barr-Kumar was part of the group and other members of the family

were also participating of this field visit. Professional and technical members of the field-based team were

also part of the group.

During this visit we had the opportunity to learn more about AE´s Project. We managed to complete initial

geodata gathering during this visit, specifically 107 waypoints were collected in the field. These points

were used to geo-reference, typified and later plot geographic objects, specifically roads and bridges.

Some of the products shown in this report are based on such data-points.

The visit yielded 72 pictures and 13 very short video footages. This will be classified by topic to be

included in AE´s pictorial database/archive. Happiness and satisfaction of a job well done, immediately

after getting soak in the rain, is shown in this picture.

2.2. Advising, designing, and production of a preliminary version of the household survey

instrument

As a product from the July 2nd

visit the two students from the University of Missouri, Miriam Betancourt

and myself met to lay the basis for the design of the survey instrument. We worked together in terms of

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defining the framework and specific parameters regarding the content and scope of the survey form. A

task was given to the two students, due on July 8th : to submit a preliminary version of the instrument.

On Tuesday, July 8th they submitted their version for discussion and we went into further evaluation of

the instrument. After the discussion, I took it home to work more on it in order to make needed qualitative

changes in both form and content.

On June 10th we met again to discuss and approve the preliminary version; version that was to be

designed with the purpose to be sent for review by experts of the University of Missouri for the production

of the “almost” final version (the “almost” factor pending on the field trial any survey must go previous to

its approval for application). Index 1 contains version 1 of the survey instrument, as was sent to the

University of Missouri.

2.3 Searching, gathering and assembling geo-referenced data

The task of searching, gathering and assembling geo-referenced data to develop a GIS to support a

process for planning and decision making is not an easy, nor fast, process. In Panama, as in any other

underdeveloped country, reliable data is not openly available: the data exists, however is difficult to

access! For producing a first-class geographic and environmental geo-referenced database an essential

element is having access to critical, reliable, data.

To develop a good geo-referenced baseline data, as the one we are envisioning for AE support of future

work with the community and researchers, we need, first and foremost, physical geography based data

(hydrological, geological and morphological data); to develop a good environmental and ecological

baselines we need good longitudinal records on vegetation, soil, weather and climate data; on

anthropogenic activity we need economic, social, cultural data. For each of these themes we can find

data and information that is fragmented, in different pieces and forms; from different sources and

timelines and I have been after the collection of such data attributes for our region of interest.

The most practical way to collect data is searching for those who have it: searching for reliable secondary

sources. Internet searching is a first option. There is a lot of it but unfortunately many of cannot be

trusted. The lack of metadata for such sources is a good indicator that specific data must not be trusted. If

not found in the internet, the researcher has to go through the institutional “via crucis” of data searching.

Identifying where data is does not necessarily mean that you will get it. It also require visit to several

institutions that may contain data and often deal with bureaucratic processes that are attached to the

process of actually having access to it. When data is not available then we have to go to the primary

sources, go out and scientifically develop it, which usually imply go and collected directly from the field.

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I am using orthophotos to analyze land use and location and distribution of physical and human

geographic objects/features in the area of interest: the AE site and the sorrounding areas (situation).

Orthophotos are available at the Instituto Geográfico Nacional “Tommy Guardia” (IGNTG).

The advantage of orthophotos over other aereal photos, with a perspective projection, is that in

orthogonal geo-referenced images the scale is constant regardless of elevation, therefore accurate

distances and proper distribution and patterns for other geographical features can be measured. These

images can be practically used as “maps” because there is no relief displacement (there is uniformity in

scales at any point within the image, something that may not occur with regular aereal images). A great

feature is that orthophotos make possible the collection of certain data and information that may not be

easily reachable directly on the field. Orthophotos, as well, permit the addition an/or integration of any

other spatial (geo-referenced) data developed through other means (i.e. field work data and cartography

developed by others). Figure 1 depicts the projection attributes associated to these two types of images.

Figure.2.1: Orthogonal vs. perspective projections

Source: Okeke. 2006. GIS Development

(http://www.gisdevelopment.net/magazine/years/2006/july/36_1.htm)

For our geographic area of interest, Manglarito, surrounded areas and communities, particularly the area

located within the Dos Bocas River watershed monochromatic orthophotos are available. An area of

36KM2 can be analyzed for this area contained in set of six geo-registered orthophotos. For evaluation

purposes in terms of image quality, as well in as to explore the scale and information clarity, I have

acquired two images, Chichibali (7-6050960-3) and Filipina (7-6050955-4). See smaller versions of these

orthophotos in the Index 2 section.

Each othophoto covers an area of 2.5 Km2. Through their initial handling I have concluded that these

images are clear, of good quality, without the presence of clouds. Elevation curves are not attached to

these images, which poses a challenge for geo-matching on elevation data; something that will be part of

the second report. Unfortunately, these images I believe are from the year 2004 (still yet to confirm) and

are the only ones available locally. Should need, in case changes observed to date are very significant,

we can discuss other alternatives to gather land use and spatial occupation data.

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Figure 2.2 depicts the index for the orhophotos required for the land-space analysis of AE’s and

surrounding areas.

Figure 2.2. Orthophoto Index

Throughout the integration of field data and secondary data sources, including the afford mentioned

orthophotos, data from the national census cartography produced by the Contraloría Nacional de la

República and field based geodata it has been possible to develop a primary (Phase I) geo-referenced

baseline.

Figure 2.3 (next page) shows a GIS produced image of six attributes spatially distributed and interlinked

over the two orthophotos, product that is still on progress as we advance further with the integration of

other data (i.e. elevation data) into the AE’ GIS.

Figure 2.4, shows the typical GIS working space for this project-study. This working space consists of

several components and procedures based on different geomatic and graphical methods (located at the

top, bottom and right side of the screen) that are applied to produce an integrated image visualization

(one of several) of spatial data that are possible to engaged researchers and spatial analysis.

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Figure 2.3. Product of phase 1: GIS Baseline for Altos Escondidos

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Fig. 2.4 GIS Working Space

3. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

During the past month, we have done field work and visited key institutions that maintain important data

needed to design and layout the structure, with some spatial attributes added, of the GEGISCHI. This is a

good starting point given that the architecture of the GIS is ready to integrate and process more data that

is still yet in the process to be collected, given that spatial data collection and its integration is an always

ongoing process.

Based on field work and side methodological discussions we elaborated a first complete draft of a survey

instrument to soon be used to collect information in Manglarito to support the proposal phase of the

Fundación Chichibali ’s Community Education and Research Center. The instrument is being reviewed

by specialists at the University of Missouri for its final version.

We are still in the phase of data and integration collection. The time for geographic and environmental

analysis is yet to come.

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I am still on the process of visiting institutions that maintain databases and other data needed for

integration in AE’s GIS, such are the cases, amongst several, of the Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica

S.A.( ETESA) for longitudinal data on weather and climate data; the Centro del Agua para el Trópico

Húmedo de América Latina y El Caribe (CATHALAC) for climate modeling and related remote sensing

data; the Department of Environmental Engineering at Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) for

hydrological data; the Geosciences Institute at Universidad Nacional de Panamá (UP) for geo-physical

data (geology, geomorphology, seismologic); the Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la

Naturaleza (ANCON) for vegetation and forest related biodiversity data; and the Sociedad Audubon de

Panamá for ornithological data.

It is recommended that some critical data AE has at hand, such as the survey data in AE’s Environmental

Impact Study (EIS), along as other information and data collected with the framework of such study, be

integrated to the GIS Baseline.

Along the lines of adding other sources and attributes (i.e. elevation curves) to the GIS Baseline, I have

managed to acquire the 30 meters scale resolution Digital Elevation Model for Panama region. Currently I

am in the course of processing the production of an elevation map for the AE’s area of interest soon to be

included in the baseline.

Progress Report No.2 will provide advances in regards to the ongoing process of data collection,

transformation and its integration to the GEGISCHI project. Hopefully by then we have enough quality

data to start analyzing the data and start using the tools as a decision making and planning instrument.

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INDEX 1

____________________________________________________________________________________

HOUSEHOLD BASED SURVEY INSTRUMENT FOR THE GATHERING OF DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DATA ON THE COMMUNITY OF LOS MANGLARITOS, MUNICIPALITY OF CHAME, DISTRICT OF SORA, REPUBLIC

OF PANAMA. PANAMA, SUMMER 2010

INTRODUCTION

Altos Escondidos is Panama´s first 100% sustainable Eco Resort and Residences Project, currently being

developed in close proximity to the village of El Manglarito, a highland community located west of

Panama City.

True to its policy of social responsibility, the Altos Escondidos Project wants to delineate and act upon a

program that will contribute to the well being of el Manglarito community, as a clear expression of its

commitment to sustainable development. On such note and because you are a member of this

community we would like to ask you to participate as respondent to this survey, which main purpose is

the development of a base of information that will be very instrumental to establish the basis for

participatory interaction between the community and the project.

Some projects that Altos Escondidos envision to develop in its interactive participation are:

The development of a community center, as a base to implement outreach and educational activities to foster balanced relationships between nature, production and community interest.

Rehabilitation of the Health Service Post in order to assure that preventive treatments of the most common illnesses are available, as well as to provide first aid for most common needs.

Contribute to develop safe water distribution to households, as well as clean energy through modern, environmentally safe and reneawable sources to the community of El Manglarito.

The establishment of an Early Warning System related to flooding and related events within the context of the Rio Las Dos Bocas watershed, especially those affecting the community of El Manglarito.

Please feel free to ask anything related to the Altos Escondidos project and its community

participatory agenda during, or after, the course of this survey.

We Thank You for your participation.

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To be responded preferable by the head of household

1 Section I: Household Demographics 1.1 Number of Household Members [ ] 1.2 Number by Gender M [ ] F [ ] 1.3 Ages of Household members

MALES AVG. AGE

FEMALES AVG. AGE

1.4 How many families are parts of this household? [ ] 1.5 How many members of the household are currently attending school? [ ]

2 Section II: Household Economy

2.1 How many members of the household have permanent jobs? [ ] 2.2 How many members of the household have occasional (non permanent) jobs? [ ] 2.3 How many members of the household are self-employed? [ ] 2.4 What are the main sources of income for this household?

2.4.1 Land (Agriculture): Specify_______________________________ [ ] 2.4.2 Industry (Factory, Construction): Specify____________________ [ ] 2.4.3 Services (Office, Domestic Work): Specify___________________ [ ] 2.4.4 Other Specify_________________________________________ [ ]

2.5 Are the main sources of jobs for this household found outside or inside the community? [ IN ] [ OUT ]

3 Section III: Agricultural Activity

3.1 How many members of the household practice agriculture? [ ] 3.2 What is the main purpose for practicing agriculture?

3.2.1 To generate extra income [ ] 3.2.2 As a subsistence activity [ ] 3.2.3 Other Specify_________________________________________ [ ]

3.3 What is the main agricultural product growing in this area?

3.3.1 Corn [ ] 3.3.2 Rice [ ] 3.3.3 Beans [ ] 3.3.4 Bananas [ ] 3.3.5 Coffee [ ] 3.3.6 Vegetables [ ] 3.3.7 Other Specify_________________________________________ [ ]

3.4 Where do you sell or exchange your agricultural production? [NA] Place:_____________ 3.5 How would you rate the variety of products grown in this area

Poor [ ] Good [ ] Very Good [ ]

3.6 To the best of your knowledge, do you know if coffee has been grown in this area? [ ] Yes Where?_____________________ How long ago?______________ [ ] Don´t Know

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4 Section IV: Environmental Services Issues

4.1 Is your water safe to drink? Yes [ ] No [ ] 4.2 What is the source of your water?

4.2.1. Public network [ ] 4.2.2. Direct pipe from individual source [ ] 4.2.3. Water Well [ ] 4.2.4. Other _______________________________________________________ [ ]

4.3 Have you notice a reduction on the quantity or quality of your water during the past five years Yes [ ] Specify:______________________________________ No Change [ ]

4.4 Have you notice any changes in the occurrence and type of natural disasters in this area during the past five years? Yes [ ] Specify____________________________ No [ ]

4.5 Have you notice any changes in the patterns of weather (rain, temperature) in this area during the past five years? Yes [ ] Specify____________________________ No [ ]

4.6 To what causes do you associate changes in the environment? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.7 What is the main source of energy at home? 4.7.1. Public network (Electricity) [ ] 4.7.2. Battery [ ] 4.7.3. Fuel Wood (Leña) [ ] 4.7.4. Other _______________________________________________________ [ ]

4.8 Would you be interested in participating in informational/ educational activities (workshops, presentations) related to environmental issues that will be offer for free by Altos Escondidos and other organizations? Yes [ ] No [ ]

5 Section V: Transportation and Communication

5.1 On average, how many times a week do you travel out to other communities to get the goods and

services that are not provided in your community? One [ ] Two [ ] Three or More [ ] 5.2 Is there a reliable transportation service to get in and out the community?

Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes, How often it runs?___________________________ 5.3 What is your main form of transportation from in and out of your community?

5.2.1 Modified truck (Chiva) [ ] 5.2.2. Motorcycle [ ] 5.2.3. Horse [ ] 5.2.4. Other _______________________________________________________ [ ]

5.4 Do you have a cell phone? Yes [ ] No [ ] 5.5 What is the main use of your cell phone?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5.6 Is there any access to internet /computers in the community? Yes [ ] No [ ]

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6 Section VI: Health Issues and Services

6.1 Where is your closest health service post located? In the community [ ] Outside the community [ ]

6.2 Do you use your closest health service post often? How often: ___________________ 6.3 What is the schedule of the health service post? --------------------------------------------------- 6.4 Are vaccinations available for children and elders of the community? Yes [ ] No [ ] 6.5 How satisfied are you with the service of the center?

6.5.1 Very [ ] 6.5.2. Medium [ ] 6.5.3. Little [ ] 6.5.4. Other _______________________________________________________ [ ]

6.6 Main health issues in the community 6.6.1. Digestive system (Diarrhea) [ ] 6.6.2. Respiratory system [ ] 6.6.3. Nervous-Mental System (Stress, Depression) [ ] 6.6.4. Flu [ ] 6.6.5. Other (Specify) _______________________________________________ [ ]

6.7 How do you treat you main health issues?

6.5.1. Natural-native medicine [ ] 6.5.2. Physician’s Medication [ ] 6.5.3. Pray (Leave it to God’s will) [ ] 6.5.3. Other (Specify) _______________________________________________ [ ]

7. Section VII: Community and the A.E. Project

7.1 Do you think the project is good for the community? Yes [ ] No [ ] Any comments?____________________

7.2 How do you think the A.E. project will be beneficial to the community? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.3 What would you suggest to bring more cohesion into the community? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.4 In which way can we (AE Project) contribute with community integration?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.5 Any comments you will like to make about anything related to what we have just spoken?

____________________________________________________________________________________

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INDEX 2

ORTHOPHOTOS ACQUIRED AT THE MOMENT

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ORTHOPHOTO: Chichibali (7-6050960-3)—IGNTG: File No.8 CD 135

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ORTHOPHOTO: Filipina (7-6050955-4)--IGNTG: File No.8 CD 135