Observatorio Medioambiental

Epistemological bases of the environment and risks in the field of tourist activities: words, terms and concepts

2024-12-20T08:17:19+00:00

Scientific knowledge, environmental knowledge, risk knowledge, etc., based not on the intrinsic rationality of the fundamental assumptions of unprovable science, but simply on a convention, is making its way today (as Professor Calsamiglia has shown in his work). Convention that changes over time, precisely for that reason it can progress. If we are able to overcome rigid methodological monism and stop considering unworthy of attention everything that does not agree with the established convention, then, and only then, we will be able to truly relativize our knowledge, which is the product of conventions and developments of these conventions, and we will not be able to claim that our knowledge is the truth, and that our convention is the true one, the one that corresponds to human reason, but we will simply maintain that it is a way of interpreting reality, a scheme of interpretation of the reality that we claim to know. I underline a scheme of interpretation, neither the only possible one nor the ultimately true one. Perhaps the closest or most true at a given time, but one that is destined to be surpassed. This is an idea that is attempted to be developed here.

Comparative analysis of Spanish regulations on the protection of forest areas and their differences with Ecuadorian law

2024-12-20T08:17:12+00:00

Currently, forests cover about 4060 million hectares in the world, representing 31% of the earth's surface and hosting a large part of the biodiversity of flora and fauna, which, over the years has been diminished because of the old beliefs that their resources were unlimited, These beliefs are no longer valid due to the different studies that show that many of these resources are non-renewable, which has generated a great interest on the part of human beings to conserve and protect it, all this through the creation of several international and national legal instruments that are directly linked to the protection of the legal good called environment. In view of the above, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the protective regulations of the existing forest areas in Spain and Ecuador, thus being able to compare them and determine whether their operation is really in compliance with the existing regulations.

Territorial effects of Green Hydrogen in Chilean Patagonia: counter-current readings and some precautions for the future

2024-12-20T08:17:11+00:00

In this work, the central issues related to Green Hydrogen technology will be discussed from a critical and rigorous perspective, taking into consideration its main characteristics, both positive and negative. After this, we will make an exhaustive review of the value markets in which this industry will play a leading role in the future. In the following term, we will focus this study on the territory of Chilean Patagonia, placing special emphasis on its territorial effects, considering its social, economic and environmental effects. A review will be carried out of the main current and future projects in the area of said technology and finally, a cycle of proposals for legislative improvement will be made in order to remedy the problems or conflicting nodes evidenced.

The Daimiel and Doñana Tables, problems of overexploitation of resources. Comparative analysis

2024-12-20T08:17:09+00:00

Las Tablas de Daimiel and Doñana National Parks have suffered serious damage. Water, as the main asset of wetland ecosystems, and its management, necessary, by public bodies can achieve an improvement of the damage caused. The transformation of the territory, together with the problems of overexploitation of resources, has led these wetlands to a precarious situation. Precariousness of both flora and fauna and its most precious asset, water. Water has been a subject of conflict Water has been a subject of conflict in these territories since time immemorial. Conflicts that must be confronted and managed through homogeneous legislation that allows the conservation of these ecosystems in a common way with common objectives. The application of this legislation must be carried out by entities dependent on the State but with their own personality and capacity for action.

Environmental monitoring in the sanitation sector in Peru: the case of Ucayalí

2024-12-20T08:17:07+00:00

Peru, like many other countries in the region, is rich in natural resources, but their conservation is affected by various economic activities such as mining, agriculture, industry, forestry and sanitation. It is the latter that is considered one of the main environmental problems affecting the entire country and especially in fragile ecosystems such as the Peruvian jungle – such as the Ucayali region – or the sources of water resources, due to a lack of control and monitoring by the competent entity, that is, by the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation. Indeed, despite the continued action of the ministry referred to in the preceding paragraph, environmental problems persist and in some cases have worsened, as evidenced by the reports prepared by the Environmental Assessment and Oversight Agency, the governing body of the National Environmental Assessment and Oversight System. This is how, within the identified problems that affect the adequate environmental supervision by the competent entity, we have the incorrect environmental planning that negatively impacts the results proposed by the entity, which prevents the contribution or solution of the various environmental problems. Thus, the present work, after analyzing the Sanitation System and the National System of Environmental Evaluation and Supervision, aims to identify the problem that results in insufficient and inadequate environmental supervision by the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation, proposing a solution that allows improving its work as a supervisory entity.

The bases of Environmental Geography in Spain: An approach to the birth, development and consolidation of the Geographic Society of Madrid

2024-12-20T14:33:59+00:00

Throughout this research I approach the reality of the preliminaries of the Geographical Society of Madrid (reference point of the current Royal Geographical Society), assessing for this purpose, the historical, legal, political, and administrative relevance of a collective entity that, like the one studied, is from its origins directly dependent on a Territorial and Institutional Political Model such as the Spanish one, in which it has had to be integrated. This integration process that the Royal Geographical Society has experienced, in turn, breaks down into two perfectly differentiated stages: on the one hand, the integration of the geographical entity into a politically organized social organization, that is, into the State; and on the other hand, an integration referring to the legal system, which by chance or on the contrary as a result of this circumstance, at the historical moment in which the original Geographic Society of Madrid was established, began its journey. On the other hand, the social institutionalization of Geography would become a key process as strategic knowledge to provide a decisive response to eventualities such as the growth of the Spanish and European population, and its progressive relocation through emigration to the colonial territories of the States.

Environmental and Social impact of Wind “Parks” on the Wayuu Indigenous Community, located in the Guajira of Colombia

2024-12-20T14:34:00+00:00

The Colombian Guajira, located in the extreme north of the country, is a region known for its vast desert and Caribbean coastline. It is the ancestral home of the Wayuu indigenous community, who have lived on the peninsula for centuries. The Wayuu's symbiotic relationship with their natural environment is based on traditional activities such as fishing, cattle ranching and artisanal weaving. However, the recent introduction of renewable energy projects, specifically wind farms, is transforming both the physical and cultural landscape of the region. Wind farms are presented as a sustainable solution to the global climate crisis, offering clean energy that reduces dependence on fossil fuels. La Guajira, with its strong and constant winds, is ideal for the installation of wind turbines. However, these projects are not without controversy and challenges, especially in terms of environmental and social impact. The construction and operation of these facilities can significantly alter local ecosystems and negatively affect native fauna and flora. The environmental impact on the Wayuu community is manifested in the fragmentation of habitats and the modification of land use patterns, which threatens the region's scarce water resources. Culturally and socially, wind farms also represent a considerable challenge. Inadequate prior consultation and disregard for indigenous peoples' right to self-determination can lead to conflicts between communities and developers, as well as the loss of ancestral territories crucial to Wayuu identity and cultural survival. Disruption of traditional practices is another critical aspect. The construction of wind farms can limit access to lands used for grazing, agriculture and medicinal plant collection, affecting the local economy and social well-being. In addition, the presence of modern infrastructure in sacred landscapes may have a negative effect on Wayuu spirituality and traditions, which are closely linked to their natural environment. However, it is important to consider the potential advantages of wind energy production for the Wayuu community, if properly managed. These advantages include profit sharing, labor inclusion and commitment to environmental protection. Alternatively, energy production from biomass could offer lower environmental and social impacts, stimulating job creation and improving quality of life. This study seeks to provide a comprehensive view of the impact of wind farms and propose alternatives for a more sustainable development that respects the rights of indigenous communities, balancing energy transition with the preservation of cultural and ecological diversity.

Cahuita (Costa Rica), a tourist destination beyond the circular economy

2024-12-16T17:43:05+00:00

This work analyzes the conditions of the Cahuita community in terms of marketing of raw materials, products and services offered to tourists, travelers or visitors. It is important to highlight that this town was formed mainly by fishermen and farmers, which led to it becoming a rural community tourist destination that at the same time congests the Cahuita National Park, evidencing a series of characteristics that resemble the circular economy. These particularities make this destination attractive to people because it maintains ancestral traditions of indigenous and Afro-descendant culture. The objective of this work is to present the form of commercialization and barter (exchange is the form used by the tourism sector), that the Cahuita people have with tourism entrepreneurs to strengthen the economy from the tourism approach. The methodology is participatory, and is oriented towards case studies. The population is made up of 245 members of the Cahuita community. The main results are that some types of musaceae, tubers from the region, fruits, among others, are harvested from homes, which become raw materials for tourism businesses and the homes themselves. The main conclusion is that the members of the community are active suppliers of businesses dedicated to tourism and favor the local economy because income from tourism is democratized to other sectors such as commerce in general and the different audiences that live in the Community. from Cahuita, Limón, Costa Rica.

Sustainable development and migratory movements: immigration in today's world

2024-12-20T08:17:17+00:00

Immigration is a type of human displacement, also known as migration, in which people from one country or another region enter a given society. We can say that it is a worldwide phenomenon, which is growing every day. Its causes are multiple, from economic factors, through geographic problems to situations of political conflict. The article follows a qualitative methodology, where the world of immigration is explored. The objective of this essay is to analyze the interrelation between environment, sustainable development and immigration flows as a social reality. Finally, immigration as a complex phenomenon from the socio-political, legal and economic point of view, has caused poor countries to become expellers of cheap and qualified labor, and rich countries to become recipients of the same.

The fifteen-minute city: a case study

2024-12-20T08:17:16+00:00

It is necessary to understand that the 21st century is the century of cities, in view of the proposed solutions to the problems that have occurred and will occur. Framed in a context of densification and hyperconnectivity, the great challenge of climate change finds in cities a confusing battlefield. Considered in the Sustainable Development Goals, the planning of cities with the epithet sustainable has become one of the most frequent challenges, but also an avantgarde one, which is why these paper aims to analyse the political-urbanist proposal of “The fifteen-minute city”, going through the existing literature on the subject and trying to deduce its viability, through the controversies that plague it.

Tourism and the Environment in Spain: Case Study

2024-12-20T08:17:14+00:00

Environmental Planning, in the field of tourism activities in Spain, is closely related to the birth of Tourism in our country, with the study, analysis and interpretation of the so-called “tourist destinations” playing a fundamental role in it. In this article we approach the gestation of these works, through their diachronic treatment, abroad, until reaching the present day. All this without forgetting that, in Spain, tourism as an economic activity was in its infancy, closely related to historical events; the political circumstances that marked the more than turbulent 19th century did not facilitate the cultural emergence of the aforementioned tourist activities, having to wait until the second half of the 20th century for individual initiatives to end up adding up and becoming what is known today as “mass tourism”, in total and continuous transformation. From this perspective, the research shows how this process has coincided in our country with the various transformations that the State has undergone (especially from the appreciation of this transition that runs between the Modern Absolutist State, to the Contemporary Constitutional State), from the point of view of the relations of this with the social community, it can be seen how the reformulation that the constitutional approach warned at the time implemented in our state reality, would attract with it a growing importance of the regulation of the different state powers (a matter of notable interest for the development of the aforementioned tourist activities).

Socio-ecological approaches to sustainability: economics, ecology, evolution and human pro-environmental behavior

2024-12-20T08:17:05+00:00

Current approaches and developments regarding the concept and policies of sustainability management have been based, to a large extent, on general principles and models derived from economic theory, rather than on the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of biology, ecology and evolutionary theory. To verify this situation and proposed trend, a review is made of the conceptions and contributions of current approaches regarding sustainability management in public policies and economic and business strategies, together with an approximation, through the application of a survey, to the discourses in related professionals and in the general population. As a contribution to the proposal of a model of greater scope and breadth in addressing the complexity and multidimensionality of sustainability, an approach is proposed with a greater integration of levels and frameworks of analysis and interpretation of human behavior in its relationship with the environment, based on the analytical and conceptual instruments of socioecology, environmental psychology, ecological economics, evolutionary ecology, systems ecology and the various approaches to human ecology