Tec. Germán SOLVEIRAPark Ranger

Argentina

Golden, CO. August 30-31; September 1st

Exit Strategies ConferenceManaging human waste in the wild

Patagonia: General location

Started around 1930, with the first climbing club.

Very few people practiced the activity, increasing lately.

Around the seventies, trekking become popular, though there were no environmental criteria.

No “pack out trash” policies; no manage of sanitary waste.

The same situation occur in south Patagonia, 50/60 years later.

Backcountry activities in the area

Explosive increase of users in the last two decades.

Visitors from many different locations – many different uses and expectations.

Big parties allowed.

High concentration in climbing huts surroundings – no ALC established.

Human waste - conflictive situations

The analysis of human waste management in Argentinean Patagonia has to consider two

very different situations…

Management of regular waste…

Management of sanitary waste…

An overview of Patagonian situation

Social habits; no recycling culture in general visitors.

Like happens with urban garbage, the management solutions are to bury or to burn trash.

No additional regulations in backcountry areas.

Very few control personnel, no specific rangers.

Regular waste: main problems detected

Same regulations in front and backcountry areas: drainage ditch as the only ruled system of treatment.

No retirement of waste is required in any facility. Only the withdrawal of regular waste is mandatory.

High concentration in those areas.

Sanitary waste: problems detected

• The use of “cat holes” is advised.

• A minimal distance of 200 ft. is required to any water source.

The absence of regulations indicates this issue is not being face by managers… is it undetected yet? Is it uncomfortable to talk about it?

…Sanitary waste

Managing human

waste

Public consciousne

ss

Regulations

Economical

resources

Technology

Aspects to work with…

Important increase in the last decade.

More commitment in foreigners than in local users.

More commitment in young users than in traditional ones.

Public consciousness (in Argentinean Patagonia)

Only regular garbage is required to be packed out.

There are no visitor´s regulations about sanitary wastes. Concessioners are required to manage, but not to retire them.

Friendly use is advised, but not enforced.

Very few rangers to control the areas. No backcountry rangers.

Regulations (in Argentinean Patagonia)

Although is increasing, the economical circuit around backcountry use is still small.

Entrance fees and permits are free, with very few exceptions.

Government investment in the area is minimal.

Private investment made by concessioners are not focused in this issues.

Economical resources (in Argentinean Patagonia)

Mostly not available in the region.

No local answers, mostly because there is no market that demand it.

Very high cost of the existing alternatives.

Technology (in Argentinean Patagonia)

As managers, to learn about the experiences of other protected areas systems, avoiding their mistakes and copying what they did right.

As a society, to recognize the issue as a problem, looking together the ways to deepen this consciousness change lately born.

Homework to do…

Thank you very much!!