Environmental management of small-scale and artisanal mining: the Portovelo-Zaruma goldmining area, southern Ecuador

2002 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.H Tarras-Wahlberg
Author(s):  
Verónica Iñiguez-Gallardo ◽  
Renato Serrano-Barbecho ◽  
Fabián René Reyes Bueno

La regulación de uso del suelo es un continuo debate en el proceso de planificación territorial, sobre todo en Ecuador, donde la agricultura a pequeña escala es uno de los pilares de la economía familiar para un amplio porcentaje de habitantes del sector rural. Por esta razón, identificar las variables requeridas para mantener la actividad agrícola es una necesidad y obligación. El objetivo principal de este artículo es identificar las variables espaciales que inciden sobre la probabilidad de mantener la actividad agrícola, de acuerdo con las expectativas de la gente y las características del territorio. Para ello, se comparan datos de percepción de los pobladores sobre variables tales como superficie predial, distancia a carretera, a canales de riego y a mercados, con datos espaciales de estas mismas variables. El área de estudio es la Parroquia Chuquiribamba, perteneciente al cantón Loja, al sur del Ecuador, por ser una de las principales fuentes agrícolas del sector. Los resultados sugieren convergencias entre las percepciones de la gente y las variables espaciales necesarias para asegurar la actividad agrícola, así como divergencias respecto a la normativa que regula el tamaño mínimo predial.  Abstract Land-use regulation is an ongoing debate in the process of land-use planning. This is particularly true for a country such as Ecuador, where small-scale agriculture is one of the pillars of the family economy for a large percentage of inhabitants of the rural sector.  In this context, identifying the necessary variables for ensuring agricultural activities is a need and an obligation. The main objective of this article is to identify the spatial variables that affect the probability of maintaining agricultural activity, according to the expectations of the people and the characteristics of the territory. We compare data regarding the perceptions of the people of variables such as parcel size, road, irrigation and market proximity, with spatial data of the same variables. The area of study is the Chuquiribamba Parish, located in Canton Loja, in southern Ecuador. We selected it due to its agricultural importance in the Canton. The results suggest convergences between the perceptions of the people and the spatial variables necessary to safeguard agriculture, as well as divergences with the normative regulating the minimum parcel-size. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Issah Musah-Surugu Justice ◽  
Albert Ahenkan ◽  
Justice Nyigmah Bawole ◽  
Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah

Attempts to discuss small-scale artisanal mining (ASM) within the lenses of environment–poverty paradox have had two contending schools of thought. The first lens is the most dominant and holds that a single factor, ‘poverty’, drives people into ASM. The second lens contends that multiples of complex factors better explain who and why rural populations elect to enter employment in ASM. The literature appears to have largely focused on the single perspective, while the multi-complex web of factors has been largely ignored or at best just mentioned in passing. Employing the multi-complex perspective, this article provides a novel framework for unpacking the multiple factors that drive rural people into ASM in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We argue that a single factor (‘poverty’) is inadequate to explain why rural people choose ASM as an alternative livelihood source and any policy intervention based on such perspective may rarely succeed. Our discussion highlights that institutional failure, including foreign/external takeover, poor politico-regulatory environment and unfavourable climate have sanctioned rural people to engage in such arduous and unsafe livelihood support activity which degrades the environment. Both theoretical and empirical studies from SSA have been used to support the argument.


2021 ◽  
Vol 882 (1) ◽  
pp. 012077
Author(s):  
S Sugiarti ◽  
B Yunianto ◽  
R Damayanti ◽  
N R Hadijah

Abstract Small-scale mining has a very long history, and the majority operated without permits: coal and almost all kinds of minerals they cultivate. The area of operation covers most of Indonesia. There are grab licensed mining areas. The number of illegal miners is estimated at more than 3.6 million people, about 1.4 million gold miners. This activity has been going on for years, never be solved. The Negative impacts of illegal mining, include the loss of potential state revenue, environmental damage and mercury pollution, mining accidents, social vulnerabilities, conflicts with licensed companies, and no resource conservation. It is time for this issue serious attention of the government to be resolved. Legalization by granting permits can be a business guarantee that will grow responsibility for regulations and become the basis for environmental management. This research is socio-legal research. The role of local governments, associations, and the state-owned company is required in technical guidance on mining and the environment, institutions, business management, and product markets. If the activities can be managed and developed, the negative impacts can be overcome. So, the benefits of their business can become a forum for people’s activities in the mining sector, and state revenues can be collected.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoela Sacchis Lopes ◽  
Bijeesh Kozhikkodan Veettil ◽  
Dejanira Luderitz Saldanha

The efficiency of the environmental management of a territory largely depends on previous surveys and systematic studies on the main elements and conditions of the physical environment. We applied remote sensing and digital image processing techniques (Principal Component Analysis and supervised classification) to Landsat imagery for analyzing the spatiotemporal land cover changes occurred in the Rio Canoas State Park in Brazil and its surrounding area from 1990 to 2016. Reforested areas around the park with exotic species is a part of the region’s economy and a number of industries depend on it for raw materials. However, it is a matter of concern to avoid contamination with such invasive species, due to the proximity of the Park. From 1990 to 2004, more than 95% of the study area was unchanged and showed minimal distinction in land cover over the 14 years. This was mainly due to the continuous presence of agricultural monocultures around the Park without significant increases (only 3.1% of land cover change during this period). Regarding the interior of the Rio Canoas State Park, from 1990 to 2004, there was no increase in the area of exposed soil. The analysis of the surrounding areas of the park from 2004 to 2016 showed that 5663.78 ha (12.2% of the area) of the land cover has been changed, in most areas, due to reforestation by Pinus sp. Notable changes occurred within the park (established in 2004) between 2004 and 2016—there was a partial regeneration of natural species diversity, a small number of invasive species (Pinus sp.) and removal of agricultural activities within the park, which contributed a 6.6% (75.45 ha) change in its land cover. We verified that 92.51% (1048.40 ha) of the areas inside the park were unchanged. The results demonstrated that actions were conducted to preserve the natural vegetation cover within the park and to reduce the impacts of anthropogenic activities, including the invasion of exotic species from the surrounding reforested areas into the natural habitat of the park. Given this, our study can aid the environmental management of the Park and its surrounding areas, enabling the monitoring of environmental legislation, the creation of a management plan, and can guide new action plans for the present study area and can be applied to other similar regions.


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