1 Phd.(Cand) Economía Ecológica Environmental values, motivations and beliefs in watershed management conflicts: informing sustainable management through socio-cultural valuation Paola Arias-Arévalo Phd.(Cand) Economía Ecológica Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Ambientales Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona 2016 Conferencia ESP Latinoamérica y el Caribe Octubre 2016
2 Index Background Objectives Results Discussion and ConclusionsMethodology Results Discussion and Conclusions
3 Background Socio-cultural valuation can contribute to watershed management in its mission of integrating the multiple –and often conflicting- values of stakeholders. Socio-cultural valuation could help to answer questions such as: what differences and agreements exist in people’s beliefs and values about the watershed? whose values are those represented by the management goals? Las cuencas hidrográficas proveen múltiples servicios ecosistémicos (Postel and Thompson 2005, Martin-Ortega et al. 2015). Los SE de cuencas se están degradando al enfatizarse enfoques de gestión que maximizan las ganancias económicas (FAO 2006, Molle 2006, Toekhorst 2010, Rodriguez et al. 2006, Gomez-Baggethun et al. 2013, García-Llorente et al. 2015, Castro et al 2016). Las decisiones sobre las gestión de ecosistemas son decisiones sobre los valores, porque ellas definen qué servicios ecosistémicos son promovidos a expensas de otros. Estas decisiones implican trade-offs entre servicios ecosistémicos, por lo tanto también definen como se distribuyen los costos y beneficios entre los actores de una cuenca ((McGinnis 1999, Blomquist and Schlager 2005). La gestión de cuencas frecuentemente está influenciada por conflictos entre actores que tienen diferentes motivaciones, cosmovisiones valores y poder sobre los SE (Gómez-Baggethun et al. 2013, Iniesta-Arandia et al. 2014, Felipe-Lucía et al. 2015). La gestión de cuencas ha enfatizado en abordar estas dimensiones sociales (Fight et al. 2000, Molle 2006), sin embargo aun no se han abordado con suficiente atención (Molle 2006, Floress et al. 2015, Castro et al. 2016). La valoración socio-cultural ha sido usada para identificar conflictos actuales o latentes sobre el uso de los ecosistemas (Martín-López et al. 2007, Gomez-Baggethun et al. 2013, Kovács et al. 2015) Y se está usando con más frecuencia para el análisis de gestión de cuencas (e.g., Iniesta-Arandia et al. 2014, Zagarola et al. 2014, Castro et al. 2016). Con esta investigación queremos argumentar que la valoración socio-cultural puede contribuir a la gestión de cuencas en su misión de integrar los múltiples y conflictivos valores de los actores sociales. La valoración socio-cultural puede ayudar a responder preguntas sobre: qué diferencias y acuerdos existen en las creencias y valores de las personas sobre una cuenca y qué valores están siendo representados por los objetivos de gestión:.
4 Value Pluralism Environmental values: the multiple and different ways in which ‘Nature’ is important for people, which emerge from people multiple relations with nature (Arias et al in revision, Centemeri 2015) Calls for integrating plural ontologies and epistemologies of ‘Nature’, and therefore considers value conflicts as inherent to environmental decision making. Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusions
5 Relational values: towards a radical turn of axiological frameworks (Muraca 2016; 2011; Chat et al 2016; Arías-Arevalo et al in revision) We are dwell-in-nature ‘Nature is not an object but a system/context of relations Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusions
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7 Index Background Objectives Results Discussion and ConclusionsMethodology Results Discussion and Conclusions
8 Study Area: Otún watershed (Arias et al. in revision)Otún Watershed is located in the state of Risaralda at the central Andes of Colombia and it has an extension of ha. and a population of inhabitants. Actual environmental conflicts arise due to urban dependence on water provision and conservation efforts in Otún rural area, which are aimed to offset economic activities and its impacts on runoff pollution, deforestation and biodiversity loss. This management approach has resulted in a 60% of natural forest cover of the total watershed area (CARDER, 2008). On the other hand, rural population is demanding government support on economic alternatives that conciliate their livelihoods with conservation objectives. Se aplicaron 589 encuestas en donde se indagó a partir de una pregunta abierta porque el encuestado consideraba importante conservar la cuenca del río del Otún
9 History of the “best conserved watershed in Colombia” (Arias et alHistory of the “best conserved watershed in Colombia” (Arias et al. in revision; Angel 2014; Barragán and Valdés 2011, Monsalve 2012, Rincón-Ruíz et al. 2014)
10 Conservación y Machete“Hubo una época que los forestales se llamaban las Empresas Públicas, tenían esa gente para estar detrás de los campesinos para que no tumbáramos ni una ramita para sembrar ni nada, y tuvimos muchos encontrones. Nosotros también nos buscamos para darnos machete con esa gente, yo con Omar en La Selva, ellos llegaron a sacarnos. Nos vinimos de la Aurora porque eso lo compraron y llegamos allá a la Selva, un lunes; cuando estábamos haciendo el desayuno cuando la forestal ¡Eh! ¡Y uno bien pobre y luchando la vida, y otro atrás de uno para no dejarlo trabajar! Es que él se estaba ganando su sueldo pero y uno qué?”. (Entrevista a Don Genero en Angel 2014)
11 Environmental Motivations (de Groot & Steg, 2007; 2008; Steg et al. 2011). Motivation Component Description Biospheric Preventing pollution Protecting natural resources Respecting the earth Harmony with other species Unity with nature Fitting into nature Protecting the environment Preserving nature Altruistic Peace Free of war and conflict Helpful Working for the welfare of others Social Justice Correcting injustice, care for the weak Equality Equal opportunity for all Egoistic Social power Control over others, dominance Influence Having an impact on people and events Ambition Hard-working, aspiring Authority The right to lead or command Wealth Material possessions, money
12 Environmental Worldviews: New environmental Paradigm (Steg et al. 2011; Dunlap et al., 2000). Component Statement Rejection of exceptionalism Despite our special abilities humans are still subject to the laws of nature Limits to growth The earth is like a spaceship with very limited room and resources Anti anthropocentrism Plants and animals have as much right as humans to exist Humans were meant to rule over the rest of nature*. Possibility of an eco-crisis If things continue on their present course, we will soon experience a major ecological catastrophe The so–called ‘‘ecological crisis’’ facing humankind has been greatly exaggerated*. Fragility of nature’s balance The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset. The balance of nature is strong enough to cope with the impacts of modern industrial nations*
13 Monetary Value “Si no se conserva, el agua se acaba y los humanos dependen de ella. La cebolla es de lo que viven las personas de la zona y si se acaba [el agua] perjudican a las personas”. Metaphor of H-N Value Category Value references We gain from nature Instrumental: Nature seen a merely means to achieve utility Monetary Value We live for nature Moral: Moral duties towards nature Intrinsic value We live in nature Fundamental Basic condition to i) protect the life support system, ii) to people to define themselves and to give sense to their existence. Insurance Value Livelihoods, subsistence Mental & physical health Biophilia; Identity Cultural heritage Sacredness Social capital and cohesion Sense of place Eudaimonistic: Entities and process that are conditions for leading a good human life or a life worthy of being lived Meaningful occupation Aesthetic value Recreational Leisure Cognitive development Inspiration Environmental justice Altruism Intrinsic Value “Porque si conservamos la cuenca, entonces los arboles, río y fauna se van a preservar, ellos también tienen derecho a tener un "hogar" limpio” Subsistence Si no se conserva la cuenca nos quedaríamos sin agua; sin agua no hay vida. ¿De que vale la plata sino hay agua o alimentos?” Recreation “La cuenca es un sitio turístico para los de afuera! Club campestre de los pereiranos”
14 Index Background Objectives Results Discussion and ConclusionsMethodology Results Discussion and Conclusions
15 Personal income ($COP) 558.329 629.468 % Frequency Women 59 346 Single Average S. Deviation Age 39.4 16,2 Personal income ($COP) % Frequency Women 59 346 Single 44 257 Living in rural area 38 224 Participates in community organizations or groups 23 138 Education Level Without any education level 1.4 8 Primary education level 19.5 115 High school 39.6 233 Technological education 16.1 95 Graduate 20.9 123 Post-graduate 2.5 15 Knows Otún watershed as the water source 65 380 Activities realized at Otún watershed (X=3,49; SD=3,28) Get relaxed and enjoy its landscape 51 301 Walking 260 Flora and Fauna observation 39 227 Swimming in the river 33 192 Cascades visits 28 167 Eating local food at towns 26 154 Lunching at the river 24 142 Photography 139 Of the 589 completed surveys, 224 (38%) were conducted in rural areas and 365 (62%) in the urban area of Otún watershed. Of the respondents, 59% (n = 346) were women and 41% were men (n=243). The mean age of the sample was 39 years old (SD=16.2). The majority of the respondents (59.1%) reported to have primary or high school education. The mean of the personal monthly income was of $295 USD. However, its variance was high (SD=332.7): the income median for the rural people and urban people was $81.4 ( ) y $244.2, respectively. Respondents reported to develop an average of 3 recreation or leisure activities (X=3,5) when they visit the mid-upstream watershed. Among the most mentioned activities were: enjoying the landscape and relaxing (51%), walking (44%) observing flora and fauna (39 %); swimming in the river 33% and cascades visiting (28%). Calculated based on the exchange rate of July 2015: $1.892COP= $1USD These percentages did not sum 100% because respondents were allowed to answer more than one activity. Background Objectives Methodology Results Conclusions
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18 Frequency of value expressionsValue category and value expressions Respondents (n) % Instrumental Monetary value 26 4,4 Intrinsic Life 65 11,0 Moral duties towards nature 203 34,5 Fundamental Resilience value 113 19,2 Subsistence; Livelihoods 386 65,5 Health 109 18,5 Wellbeing Identity 13 2,2 Sense of place 16 2,7 Cultural Heritage 20 3,4 Sacredness, Religious value 6 1,0 Symbolic value Social cohesion 3 0,5 Eudaimonistic Meaningful occupation 7 1,2 Altruism 141 23,9 Environmental Justice Aesthetic 57 9,7 Recreation; Leisure 37 6,3 Education and cognitive development
19 Frequency (%) of value categories and value expressions by the urban and rural respondents: (A) value categories, (B) expressions of fundamental values and (C) expressions of eduaimonistic values. Stars show significant differences between urban and rural, through U Mann-Whitney tests at (p-value < .01)***; (p-value < .005) ** and (p-value < .1)*.
20 Logistic regression results showing the motivations, environmental worldviews and socio-economic factors that determine the probability of express each of the value categories (instrumental, intrinsic, fundamental and eudaimonistic) and the ecological resilience value
21 Pro-environmental worldviewInstrumental Intrinsic Fundamental Eudaimonistic Interception -4.896 *** -2.047 0.648 -0.832 Motivations Egoistic 1.684 -1.023 ** Altruistic -1.667 * 0.605 -1.156 Biospheric Pro-environmental worldview NEP 2.949 1.890 Socio-economic factors women 0.781 age -1.619 -0.435 Education level 1.095 0.546 Single 0.490 -0.293 Rural -0.567 0.539 1.097 Number of activities 0.772 1.124 Participation in Community org. 0.740 Log -Likelihood 700.80 Akaike information criterion-AIC 712.80 Wald Chi-square 13.401 38.160 6.657 61.083 Percentage of correct estimated predictions (%) 95.59 64.18% 77.08 70.46 Regarding socio-economic factors, our result converges with those considering that gender influence on environmental perceptions is a complex one that can be mediated by other factors (REF). Although, research have shown that women hold intrinsic values of nature, in our survey, women were more likely to express instrumental values. This result may be explained on the basis that women who are headship of households (44.2% of women respondents; N=346) are probably more concerned to ensure the satisfaction of household needs, and thus are more concerned about the economic benefits the watershed provides.
22 Index Background Objectives Discussion and Conclusions MethodologyResults Discussion and Conclusions
23 Discussion and ConclusionsOtún people hold strong pro-environmental motivations and worldviews, this may explain why rural people, despite carrying a higher burden of the costs of conservation policies (Barragán and Valdés 2011, Monsalve 2012), have pro-actively engaged in ecotourism and ecosystem conservation. The current conflict does not result from the clash of anti-environmental motivations and worldviews against conservation policies, but rather from the uneven distribution of benefits and costs resulting from the conservation policies in place. Otún watershed management have been focused on goals supported on only some of the broad range of values: the provision of water for urban areas (subsistence value for urban residents); ecosystems and biodiversity conservation (intrinsic value) and tourism and recreation development (recreation and leisure values). Otún watershed management have not prioritized rural people values (relational values), such as peasant identity and culture and the preservation of their livelihoods. This represents threats for conservation goals, because exclusion of rural people values has been at the core of the environmental conflict.
24 Discussion and ConclusionsOur results show important differences in the attribution of values between rural and urban respondents (e.g. relational values). These results call for broader consideration to relational values (i.e. fundamental and eudaimonistic) in watershed management (Chan et al. 2016). Promotion of co-management in the mid- and upper-stream Otún watershed may enable broader consideration of relational values. The new payments for ecosystem services designed in the current watershed management plan could consider a co-management perspective which also emphasizes how rural people can foster their relational values: More effective conservation programs (Chan et al 2016) and also in fairer ones, as they may recognize the multiple ways in which the environment is important for people. Broadening the scope of socio-cultural valuation beyond western views of human-nature relationships can provide new evidence about the plural values of nature.
25 Gracias… R Í O O T Ú N Óscar Echeverri Mejía , en Angel 2014 Eternamente fluye tu energía de la dócil entraña de la tierra y en tu pupila desvelada encierra su inmaculada claridad el día. Fiel al claro destino que te guía, nada tu impulso abscóndito destierra: siempre huyendo del seno de la tierra y siempre a él atada tu armonía. Espejo regalado de los cielos, son tus espumas congelados vuelos y tus aguas cristales desatados. Como una rota arteria se desliza tu caudal entre nubes, y en tu prisa te circuyen luceros desvelados.