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.