Danie Merriman 1

Evaluating the Jurisdictional Map of Authority onThe 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

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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

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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.

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Possible Interviewees

Regional Authorities

Secretaría Nacional del Agua-SENAGUA Regional administration of waterMinisterio 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 systemsSupport 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 cantonMunicipio de Oña Authority of Oña canton

Location of two of the three wetland systemsMunicipio de Nabón Authority of Nabón canton

No wetlands as part of Yacuambi systemMunicipio 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 YacuambiPresident of Tutupali YacuambiPresident of Cochapata Nabón

Barrios- Smaller neighborhoods

Leader of Tutupali Parroquia TutupaliLeader of La Esperanza Parroquia Tutupali

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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

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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.

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APPENDIX

PARAMOS AND WETLANDS OF YACUAMBISouthern 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

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- 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.

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- 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 groupsRegional Authorities

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

- Ministerio de Recursos no Renovables (Dirección Nacional de Minería). It´s responsible of mining administration that includes mining concessions, control, etc.

- Ministerio del Ambiente. It´s responsible of the environmental management.

Provincial Authorities (Prefectos)- Gobierno Provincial del Azuay (Prefecto del Azuay) They are the provincial authority.

They supported de creation of the Bosque Protector Shincata. In this Bosque Protector there are two of the three wetland systems: Tres Lagunas y Laguna Grande

- Gobierno Provincial de Zamora Chinchipe (Prefecto de Zamora Chinchipe). They are the provincial authority and are interested in supporting the management of the Yacuambi Reserve.

Alcaldes (majors)- Municipio de Yacuambi. It´s the authority of the canton Yacuambi. It´s responsible for

water management and water supply to communities of Yacuambi

- Municipio de Oña. It´s the main authority of the canton Oña. It´s responsible for water management and water supply to communities of Oña. Within its territory there are two of the three wetland systems

- Municipio de Nabón. It´s the main authority of the canton Nabón. It´s responsible for water management and water supply to communities of Nabón. This town has some wetlands but they are located far away from Oña-Yacuambi System.

- Saraguro. Municipio de Saraguro. This town is not part of the wetland system Oña - Yacuambi, but it has a big influence on them, because the road Saraguro-Yacuambi starts at this canton (Urdaneta town) and the main users are from Saraguro.

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Presidentes of Juntas ParroquialesJuntas Parroquiales are the local political level. Juntas Parroquiales are part of the cantons. We should interview the presidents of the next Juntas Parroquiales:

La Paz (Yacuambi) Tutupali (Yacuambi) Cochapata (Nabón)

Barrios Tutupali La Esperanza San Vicente

The three belong to the Parroquia Tutupali

- Although Yacuambi has only one watershed the uses and perceptions are different. That’s why it´s important to study the different perceptions of uses of water, wetlands and paramos along the Yacuambi river. Although the shuaras doesn´t have much influence in the paramos it´s important to know how much do they know about the paramos and the impacts of mining activity (and other human activities) that occurs in the head of the Yacuambi River (Nabón canton).

Interview Procedure

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Before Interview:

1. Develop maps, recording devices, check lists for tracking and coding informants

2. Define purpose and objectives of interview (what is to be studied, both general and

specific).

3. Indentify groups or individuals to participate in interview. Arrange for introduction of

researchers and description of project. Explain the importance of the interview and

arrange a time and place to conduct the interview.

4. Develop interview guide (questions) based on research goals and objectives and

changes and adaptations needed from constant reflexivity

5. Set- up the interview session (place, snacks, papers, and test recording equipment).

During the Interview:

6. Welcome interviewee(s) and explain the project, confidentiality and obtain written or

verbal consent.

7. Do free listing for 20 minutes, place info on map, ask questions, probe

8. Start questions and observe behaviors from interviewee(s). Record data and note

important themes that develop or emerge.

9. Thank interviewees for participation

After the Interview:

10. Ask interviewees for key informants to interview next.

11. Complete summary review of interview, update code numbers for informants and on

notes.

Before Next Interview:

12. Transcribe interview and transfer the transcription to the database.

13. Analyze the data

14. Develop interview guide (questions) based on research goals and objectives and

changes and adaptations needed from constant reflexivity and analysis

15. Possible return for subsequent interviews to complete information

Adapted from Sandra De Urioste, Pablo Gomez, Phatchanuch Wongwathana (2002) thesis proposal

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Introductory Interview GuideTime of interview:Date:Place:Interviewer:Interviewee (individual/group):Interviewee activity or characteristics:

Check: ore-meeting; tape recorder and microphone; snacks; map; other . . .

Introduction: Welcome, describe project, recording system, map, and confidentiality

FREELIST QUESTIONS (2 or 3 from the possible): Name all the areas you can think of on this map.Name all the things that people do in this area.Name all the ways that people use water in these areas.Name all the good positive benefits people receive from these areas.Name all the concerns people have about these areas.

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS (* indicates for Danie to ask as well):

About Culture, Community, and Geography of the Watershed and Paramo Wetland Systems:

Could you tell me briefly about your community? What do people do here for a living? Tell me about how the water system works here (show the whole proposed Ramsar area) How does the community make decisions? *

About the Wetlands (May use Map):

What kinds of things do you or other people get from that area? What is this area used for? Do you have any other names that people call the place? What are areas that people visit the most frequently? What areas that are the most important?

About land/water uses (May use Map):

What areas can people access water? What do they use water for? Where does water comes from? *

About wise use and disturbance and management:

How has the area (on the map) changed and why? Which changes are good? Which changes are bad? How should these areas (point to places they mentioned) be cared for or used? How would that be decided?*How should access and use be decided?Have you heard of the Shincata Forest Reserve? Have you heard of the idea of a

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Yacaumbi Wetlands Municipal Protected Area? What is your idea of a protected wetlands? How would that affect people here?

End interview: Thank participants for their participation. Emphasize confidentiality. Ask for other Key Informants.

* These questions may be used in conjunction with participatory mapping.

Adapted from Sandra De Urioste, Pablo Gomez, Phatchanuch Wongwathana (2002) thesis proposal

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Probing Topics for Amy and Interview Topics for Danie to ask Stakeholders

About Areas on Map:

Are most people from the community born here, or are they from elsewhere? Have you ever been to (name wetland) area? How far is it? Why do people go there? Why not? What importance (special meaning) do these places have to people? Are there any other names for this area? How has importance changed from the past?

About land/water uses:

What areas can people access water? What do they use water for? Which uses would be considered most important? Where does water comes from?

About wise use and disturbance:

It has been mentioned that people use the area for this. How does this affect the wetland? It is a good activity to do? Are you aware of events that are good for the wetland? What are they?Are you aware of events that are bad for the wetlands? What are they?

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Management Questions for both Amy and Danie

Community Management and Land Access:

Does that land belong to somebody? Who? How does the community make decisions? Can you tell me about gatherings you have to talk about meetings? How has management or control of these areas changed? Why?How do you feel about how there are managed? What ways do you think it could be managed better?Here are several options of how the land may be managed? Which do think would be best?How should this area be used and by whom? Who should who gets to use these places and the water?Are these water uses managed or controlled by someone? How (individually or on a large-scale basis)? Do you need permission to use this place? Has your ability to use that place changed? Why?Do people have access to these areas? Are there people who cannot access it?How should access and use be decided?Have you heard of the Shincata Forest Reserve? Have you heard of the idea of a Yacaumbi Wetlands Municipal Protected Area? What is your idea of a protected wetlands? Which areas should be included in one protected wetland (draw on map)What entities would protect it and decide on use? How are decisions made and who should they be made?

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Follow-up Interview GuideTime of interview:Date:Place:Interviewer:Interviewee (individual/group):Interviewee activity or characteristics:

Check: ore-meeting; tape recorder and microphone; snacks; other . . .

Introduction: Welcome, describe project, recording system, and confidentiality

DATA CHECKING QUESTIONS:

About Culture and Community:

This has been mentioned. Is this accurate? Is there more information you could provide?

About the Wetlands:

This has been mentioned. Is this accurate? Is there more information you could provide?

About land/water uses:

This has been mentioned. Is this accurate? Is there more information you could provide?

About wise use and disturbance:

This has been mentioned. Is this accurate? Is there more information you could provide?

End interview: Thank participants for their participation. Emphasize confidentiality.

* These questions may be used in conjunction with participatory mapping.

Adapted from Sandra De Urioste, Pablo Gomez, Phatchanuch Wongwathana (2002) thesis proposal

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Stakeholder QuestionsTime of interview:Date:Place:Interviewer:Interviewee (individual/group):Interviewee activity or characteristics:

Check: ore-meeting; tape recorder and microphone; snacks; other . . .

Introduction: Welcome, describe project, recording system, and confidentiality

STAKEHOLDER QUESTIONS: Have

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Works Cited

CLARK, SUSAN G.; CHERNEY, DAVID N.; ANGULO, INES; DE LEON, RAFAEL BERNARDI; MORAN-CAHUSAC, CESAR. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2009, Vol. 28 Issue 6/7, p663-679, 17p, 9 Charts; DOI: 10.1080/10549810902936243

CLARK, SUSAN G.; CHERNEY, DAVID N.; ANGULO, INES; DE LEÓN, RAFAEL BERNARDI; MORAN-CAHUSAC, CESAR. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2009, Vol. 28 Issue 6/7, p680-693, 14p, 4 Charts; DOI: 10.1080/10549810902936276

Foster, S.E.; Soluk, D.A.. Biological Conservation, Feb2006, Vol. 127 Issue 2, p158-166, 9p; DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2005.08.006

Yu, Shen; Ehrenfeld, Joan G.. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Dec2009, Vol. 41 Issue 12, p2394-2405, 12p; DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.06.012