Conservation of the Indigenous Territories of the
Lower Pastaza River Basin
Ernesto E. Briones; EcoCienciaRodrigo Sierra; U. Texas (CESLA)Santiago Arce; PolitécnicaAdriana Flachier; EcoCiencia
CONTRIBUTORS: A. Hidalgo, S. Tacoamán, M. Ortega, D. Reyes, M. Bustamante, F. Nogales, M. Castro, D. Guarderas, R. Cueva, J. Gómez, J. Valencia, A. Onofa, A. Agrefa, F. Cupueran, M. Ortiz, F. Armas, V. Vargas, V. Díaz, M. Villarroel, M. Vázquez.
• 7,5% of Ecuadorian surface (1,5’ ha)• Largest area under management• Biggest indigenous reserve• Over 80% flooding forests • Project from 2000 - 2008
Framework• There is a strong international agenda toward
directing efforts to reduce deforestation and trap or store CO2
• Ecuador is undertaking a new model to reduce deforestation that is directed only toward land coverage undermining biodiversity changes
• Today the mayor forest remains on eastern Ecuador are located inside indigenous territories.
General Project Objective
• To produce a participative conservation and sustainable development strategy for the Achuar, Shiwiar and Saparo territories. – Social, economical and environmental diagnosis – Territorial characterizations– Conservation strategies – Territorial scale management plans (Conservation
strategy)– Land planning proposal
General Research Project Objective• To determine the biodiversity impact pattern and what
causes it.• Communities were classified according to its size (population)• 9 communities were selected for evaluation inside the 3
nationalities• Land Cobber, social evaluation, economical evaluation, trails
and water quality• Fauna (mammals, birds and herpetofauna)• 130 samples localities were selected and studied for each
community
Problem Definition• Diminishing of natural resources (hunting and
recollection), (Hunting strategies changes)• Land use conflicts (lack of regulations), (between 300
and 450 ha/family)• Land use pressure (decrease in life quality), (Conflicts
among communities and communities fragmentations)• Lack of economical resources (access to Health, food,
education).• Isolation (lack of basic services, markets, schools)
• BIODIVERSITY LOSS
Procedure for the Construction of the Characterization Model
• Components Identification– Social Component – Economic Component – Environmental Component
• Criteria determination for Component evaluations– Key interviews, specialist workshops– Viability and field results validations
Environmental sustainability Objective:
Component:
Criteria:
Variables:
Social Economical Ecological
Participation
Distribution
alternatives
Benefitiaries
Historia
Interés
Diversificar
Optimización
Empleo
Actores
Beneficiarios
DEsiciones
Organización
Manejo
Materia Prima
Asesoría
SAtisfacción
Values & services
Beneficiaries Institutionalism
Replicability
Natural Resources A, S y Sh. Natural capital Forest Community. Families/APU.
Territory 892 591 has. 403 183 has. 302 has percápita
Soils Mountainous - Clayey
Flat-uneven. Sandy – clayey –
Ídem.
Water Produces water 304 m3/s
Fecal Coliforms
Flora 379 347. Over 89% have uses
305
Ornithology 390. 5 % of the world
251. 57% of the recorded species for the Amazon
273. 51% are used
Mammals 101 94 83
Reptiles & amphibians
155 144 127
Surface area Population Dens/1000Km0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
AchuarShiwiarSaparo
Alta interv. Deforestac. Media Interv. Baja inter.
-800000.00
-600000.00
-400000.00
-200000.00
0.00
200000.00
400000.00
600000.00
800000.00
1000000.00
AchuarShiwiarSaparo
5.25
67.00
27.75
AchuarDeforestadoSelectivoOriginal
2.12 12.00
85.88
ShiwiarDeforestadoSelectivoOriginal
0.96 18.00
81.04
SaparoDeforestadoSelectivoOriginal
Conclusions and Recommendations• Forest coverage preservation by it self does not
guarantee biodiversity conservation• Forest demand by indigenous tribes are not a
deforestation risk• Sedentary life style and related living conditions are
most important related risks• We need to find negotiation strategies to link
biodiversity conservation to carbon storage• Governments need to pay the cost difference to
preserve cultural and biological diversity
Acknowledgments:• To the Achuar, Shiwiar and Sáparo
people for sharing its territory, work and its knowledge
• To the Moore Foundation for supporting our work
• To all the scientist, students and institutions that shared their work, time and knowledge.