Danie Merriman 18

Evaluating the Jurisdictional Map of Authority on

The Yacuambi Riparian Ecosystem

Introduction

Wetlands are quickly disappearing. Climate change is increasing the magnitude of temperatures, storms, and precipitation which have a great toll on the earth. Wetlands are buffer zones that help regulate extremes in the weather and take the brunt of a lot of these impacts. They are also of crucial importance in regards to providing critical habitat for many insects,, mammals, and, especially, bird species (Yu). Anthropocentric societies also jeopardize wetlands by contaminating their waters with industrial waste and left-over harvested material (such as fish, trees, etc.). Many people do not understand the importance of wetlands in local or global terms and, thus, are not as concerned with their longevity or survival (Foster). Proper management of these crucial ecosystems is imperative in ensuring the longevity of their existence.

The Yacuambi Wetland is an example of a wetland that could be threatened yet is vital to the survival of the human, plant, and animal life communities around it. This wetland in the South of Ecuador needs proper management strategies to ensure that it last into the future. There are a large number of stakeholders and individuals associated with the land and water in the Yacuambi region. The stakeholders are those who have some sort of authority over the watershed and have legal or representative ability to change policy over the area. It is these people who will most likely be able to implement policy to protect the watersheds and wetlands of the Yacuambi region. Establishing who governs this regions and their priorities in its use will be very beneficial in determining how best to go about protecting the wetlands for years into the future.

The United Nations Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources” (Ramsar Manual). This convention would provide a framework for "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world" (Ramsar Manual).

Currently, individuals in Ecuador, including several associated with the Universidad Technica Particular de Loja (UTPL) are working towards attaining a Ramsar Certification for the Yacuambi watersheds. In order to accomplish this, there are a number of steps that need to be taken, including evaluating the current governance situation of the watersheds and that governing body’s interest in protecting the watershed.

Context

During this project, I will be working very closely with Amy Forsgren, a masters student for the project, as well as with Jeremy Rausch, a fellow undergraduate researcher. Both Amy and Jeremy are working on projects associated with the social perceptions and management techniques of the area and, thus, will have similar research questions and methods as well as interview topics. My specific questions and interviews will take place with stakeholders, that is those who have some sort of authority over the watershed and have legal or representative ability to change policy over the area. Amy will be working more closely with individuals who may not have authority over the watershed, but who may live near it and have ties to the land- either through cultures and traditions, or from work and industry.

Goals for Proposed Research

It is important to acknowledge the role humans play to the wetland because they are the ones who can create the most change. While they may be a main cause in its degradation, they can also be the source of protection. Knowing the local, regional, and international role of humans can help determine a proper management plan to protect the area. This brings up the goals of the project. The main goal is to establish how the proposed Yacuambi Wetlands Region is governed. The second goal, based on this overall research question, is to find out who governs the wetland. This entails the establishing who has authority over the region, both geographically and legally. Those who have geographic authority are able to make decisions regarding the geographical aspects of the area. Those with a legal stance have a decision domain or political jurisdiction over what legal matters can be implemented and enforced on the area. The second sub-goal is to examine what stakeholders view as wise-use of the watershed in the Yacuambi region. Wise use of wetlands is defined as "the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development" (Ramsar Manual). Wise-use of a watershed is critical in achieving Ramsar Certification. Knowing what stakeholders consider to be wise use of the watershed could shed light on the reasoning behind their management decisions and could impact the overall certification of the watershed. This relates directly to the third goal of the overall research question, revealing the stakeholder’s interest in protecting the wetland. We want to learn about the interest in protecting the area, and if it is even plausible to be protected on a large scale. If the governing body is not interested in protecting the area, then the likelihood of the certification passing could be fairly unlikely.

Methods

A.  Collaboration

A large portion of the project will be made possible due to the collaboration with the research institute in Loja. They will be a good source of information regarding the primary research that shall occur before field surveys and studies. They will also be a good resource in helping to establish the legitimacy of the project so that other individuals and groups may be more willing to partake in the research.

A similar study was conducted in the nearby Podocarpus National Park in Ecuador. This study was conducted in two parts and worked to create a problem oriented overview of management policy as well as an initial social process map for the park (Clark et. Al). I will be using similar methods and interview questions to conduct the research of the current overview of management policies in the Yacuambi watershed basin.

B.  Sampling

Although I will be assisting Amy and Jeremy with their questioning of their specific audiences, my interviews will be specifically the stakeholders who have some sort of authority over the region. The area is spreads over the jurisdictional boundaries of three different cantons and is populated by a mixture of locals including shuaras, Saraguros and mestizos (See Apendix for full list of Yacuambi factors). Therefore, there will be a number of different agencies and individuals who I will interview.

Possible Interviewees

Regional Authorities
Secretaría Nacional del Agua-SENAGUA / Regional administration of water
Ministerio de Recursos no Renovables (Dirección Nacional de Minería) / Regional administration of mines
Ministerio del Ambiente / Regional environmental management
Provincial Authorities
Gobierno Provincial del Azuay (Prefecto del Azuay) / Location of two of the three wetland systems
Support creation of protected forest
Gobierno Provincial de Zamora Chinchipe (Prefecto de Zamora Chinchipe / Interested in management of Yacuambi Reserve
Alcaldes (mayors)
Municipio de Yacuambi / Authority of Yacuambi canton
Municipio de Oña / Authority of Oña canton
Location of two of the three wetland systems
Municipio de Nabón / Authority of Nabón canton
No wetlands as part of Yacuambi system
Municipio de Saraguro / Authority of Saraguro canton
Is not a part of wetland system, but main road starts here
Juntas Parroquiales- Local political level
President of La Paz / Yacuambi
President of Tutupali / Yacuambi
President of Cochapata / Nabón
Barrios- Smaller neighborhoods
Leader of Tutupali / Parroquia Tutupali
Leader of La Esperanza / Parroquia Tutupali

C.  Methods

The data will be collected through a series of interviews. These interviews may also be dynamic and adaptive. There will be a series of base questions that will be asked to all subjects but then may be elaborated upon after hearing the response. This will help find the individual mindsets behind the answers.

I will be interviewing stakeholders who hold a number of positions, including formal occupations as well as basic citizenship statues. Below are questions that will be asked to stakeholders to establish their stance on the current and potential management system of the wetland. I will ask that they denote their answer as speaking on behalf of the following three positions

1.  An official capacity- their response will be a representation of what their formal office believes and holds as policy.

2.  Representative of the people- their response is what they feel the people who live under their jurisdiction believe and hold truth.

3.  Personal opinion- their response is what they believe themselves, not necessarily as a person of power, but as a citizen or an educated individual.

My methods for interviewing will be the same as Amy and Jeremy. We hope to keep the procedure and questions as similar as possible to avoid losing interest from the interviewees as well as to improve efficiency of the time available while in the country. See the appendix for a complete list of interview procedures and questions.

During the research in Ecuador, I will be keeping a very in depth journal of the interviews. These journals will help me record aspects of the interview that may not have otherwise been able to be documented. For example, I will record the general mood of the interviewee to record if there was a possible extenuating circumstance that was affecting their overall mood at the time and, thus, affected their responses. I will also record their receptivity to Amy, Jeremy, and I asking questions and if they preferred one particular interviewer over another. These journals will help me reflect on the interviews after they have concluded.

D.  Qualitative data

It is important to remember that the data collected during this study will be qualitative. The study itself will be very dynamic and constantly changing. Social science has the added difficulty of having to coordinate around the complicated schedules of other people. This could prove particularly difficult for my research with stakeholders who have authorities and many responsibilities that may be hard to schedule around. Even the best laid plans established while still in the United States are likely to shift and change once we arrive in Ecuador.

E.  Analysis

The analysis of the data will have to do mostly with checking the validity of the data that has been collected.

1.  The supporting staff at the research institute in Ecuador will be instrumental in double checking facts that they may be more familiar with.

2.  The mentoring staff for the University of Idaho will help to determine which of the material is important to the study and is prevalent enough to include in the write up.

F.  Diagramming

Diagramming and creating interpretative visual aids from the data will be extremely important in determining the jurisdictional boundaries of the watersheds. They will be helpful in not only presenting the data, but finding patterns to better understand the acquired knowledge during the time of research. I hope to create a series of maps that will provide a visual as to what the authoritative stakeholders think are current management strategies, as well as where they believe practices can be improved. It will be important to keep the data up to date on the map while in the field to be aware of gaps in jurisdiction that may be resolved or defined with further questioning.

APPENDIX

PARAMOS AND WETLANDS OF YACUAMBI

Southern region has an important are of paramo: approximately 90.000 ha.

-  The Yacuambi canton has three parroquias. Three of them have paramos, but, La Paz has little paramos.

-  The Yacuambi canton has approximately 45.000 hectares of paramos, most of them are protected (28500 ha) on the Yacuambi Municipal Reserve.

-  Associated to the paramos, there are three high wetlands systems which are located in the Azuay province (Oña canton) and Zamora Chinchipe (Yacuambi canton). The three forma a single Complex. See map below

-  The Yacuambi Reserve is located in the three Parroquias of the canton Yacuambi: La Paz parroquia mainly occupied by shuaras, although there an important population of Saraguros and mestizos, 28 de Mayo by Saraguros and mestizos and Tutupali mainly occupied by Saraguros but also by mestizos. In the parroquias 28 de mayo and Tutupali there are not Shuaras. Main population of Yacuambi is Saraguros.

-  There is only one watershed (Cuenca hidrografica) in the canton: Yacuambi with a lot of small but important rivers.

-  There is a significant portion of paramo (approximately 30.000 ha) which continues to the Oña and Nabon cantons. These paramos are inside the Shincata Protection Forest

-  Main influences to the paramos and wetlands come from the Saraguros group of Saraguro and Yacuambi cantons because of the road Tutupali - Urdaneta. Although the roads cross the Azuay province, the main pressures (stresses) comes from this towns. Loja province has some influence in this paramos because Saraguro canton is located.

Focus groups

Regional Authorities

-  Secretaría Nacional del Agua-SENAGUA. It´s responsible of the administration of water