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Inclusion of Values and Environmental Conflicts in the Orotoy Basin

A proposal to encourage governance with social and ecological perspectives

Alexander RincónInstituto Alexander von Humboldt Diana LaraInstituto Alexander von Humboldt Luis Guillermo CastroInstituto Alexander von Humboldt

Different perspectives of development, intense transformation processes, and disputes for the access and use of natural resources in a territory result in emerging environmental conflicts.

With the project "Strengthening of social and ecological capacities of adaptation to climate change in the hydrographic basin of the Orotoy River"

, the Humboldt Institute has proposed a managing model of processes of territorial management1.This initiative is based on the framework of integrated valuation of ecosystem services and the identification of common interests and socio-environmental conflicts of the local, sectorial, and institutional entities pertinent to each situation, which in this case is the Orotoy Basin.

The people in this area, whose economic and subsistence activities depend on the water resource, tend to blame the diminished water flow in the dry season as the cause of the reduced quantity and quality of the resource. Notwithstanding, they also relate this reduction to declines in most ecosystem services as the result of growing agro-industrial palm plantations.

This perception has been nourished by the abrupt changes in the natural and anthropic land covers experienced by the region. Between 1986 and 2000, 60% of dense forests were diminished and a fourth of the gallery forests were lost, whereas rice plantations reduced their extension by 75%. On the other hand, since 2000, oil palm plantations increased at a rate of 236 ha/year, standing out as a significant source of employment in the basin. In this area, there is evidence for two great drives of change: expanding palm plantations and the rapid establishment of extractive mining and energy systems. Although some of these factors have generated income, effects such as population growth and declining services supply to communities have arisen, and, in turn, created socio-environmental conflicts2.

The project differentiates conflicts by the particularities of their location in the basin, location site, and the impacts generated by productive activities. For example, in the upper part of the basin, conflicts caused by water provision are dominant while in the middle basin mining, hydrocarbon exploitation, and palm plantations trigger conflicts. On the other hand, the lower part of the basin is the suitable setting for conflicts that are related to water quality because this area receives part of the polluting residues produced upstream. In addition to conflicts associated with water resources3, climate change is also identified as a future risk factor, for it will signify increasing temperatures and emerging novel agricultural plagues

There is scarce interest in the conjunct management of water resources between public and private entities, yet the solutions proposed by the project require the participation of the community. Sharing, diffusing, and discussing both scientific and local knowledge might encourage the active participation of all the persons involved. On the other hand, joining efforts and increasing social capital may create viable governance strategies for existing conflicts. In this sense, governance conditions should be established. These include: democratized information, community empowerment, guarantees for political volitions of government entities, and incentives for the participation of productive sectors.

Location of Orotoy River in Meta
UPPER BASIN
Conflicts between:
Village aqueducts
MIDDLE BASIN
Conflicts caused by:
Mining
Hydrocarbon exploitation
Palm plantations
LOWER BASIN
Conflicts caused by:
Water quality
land covers of the basin in 1984
Source: Carvajal (2014).

Dense forest
Gallery forest
Open forest

River
Artificial body of water

Oil palm
Grass and trees
Grass
Grass with undergrowth
Rice

Urban and industrial networks
Denuded and degraded land
land covers of the basin in 2000
Source: Carvajal (2014).

Dense forest
Gallery forest
Open forest

River
Artificial body of water

Oil palm
Grass and trees
Grass
Grass with undergrowth
Rice

Urban and industrial networks
Denuded and degraded land
land covers of the basin in 2014
Source: Carvajal (2014).

Dense forest
Gallery forest
Open forest

River
Artificial body of water

Oil palm
Grass and trees
Grass
Grass with undergrowth
Rice

Urban and industrial networks
Denuded and degraded land
CHANGING TRENDS OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

1990 · 2000

PROVISION ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

REGULATION ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

SA

Subsistence agriculture

REMAINS UNCHANGED

RI

Rice industry

REMAINS UNCHANGED

PI

Palm industry

REMAINS UNCHANGED

CR

Cattle raising

REMAINS UNCHANGED

F

Fishing

REMAINS UNCHANGED

WP

Water provision

REMAINS UNCHANGED

SF

Soil fertility

REMAINS UNCHANGED

WR

Water regulation

REMAINS UNCHANGED

PR

Plague regulation

REMAINS UNCHANGED

WQ

Water quality

REMAINS UNCHANGED

CA

Clean air and climate change control

INCREASES

RT

Recreation and tourism

REMAINS UNCHANGED

AE

Aesthetic enjoyment

INCREASES

RI

Regional identity

DECREASES

2001 · 2010

PROVISION ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

REGULATION ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

SA

Subsistence agriculture

DECREASES

RI

Rice industry

DECREASES

PI

Palm industry

INCREASES

CR

Cattle raising

REMAINS UNCHANGED

F

Fishing

DECREASES

WP

Water provision

REMAINS UNCHANGED

SF

Soil fertility

DECREASES

WR

Water regulation

DECREASES

PR

Plague regulation

REMAINS UNCHANGED

WQ

Water quality

DECREASES

CA

Clean air and climate change control

DECREASES

RT

Recreation and tourism

REMAINS UNCHANGED

AE

Aesthetic enjoyment

DECREASES

RI

Regional identity

DECREASES

2010 · 2014

PROVISION ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

REGULATION ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

SA

Subsistence agriculture

INCREASES

RI

Rice industry

DECREASES

PI

Palm industry

INCREASES

CR

Cattle raising

REMAINS UNCHANGED

F

Fishing

DECREASES

WP

Water provision

DECREASES

SF

Soil fertility

DECREASES

WR

Water regulation

DECREASES

PR

Plague regulation

DECREASES

WQ

Water quality

DECREASES

CA

Clean air and climate change control

DECREASES

RT

Recreation and tourism

DECREASES

AE

Aesthetic enjoyment

DECREASES

RI

Regional identity

DECREASES

309

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TOPICS

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES GOBERNANCE COMMUNITIES ORINOQUIA