SSH/ESPO, Earth and Life Institute

Challenges

How can we define and characterise the water ecosystems of the tropical Andean and Amazonian regions of Ecuador, while assessing the values attributed to them by local populations, agricultural stakeholders and energy industries, which often compete with each other for access to and management of these ecosystems? What are the impacts of global change on these water ecosystems and on the ecological, social and economic values associated with them?

In north-east Ecuador, where diverse populations and economic activities coexist, sustainable water resource management is at the heart of tensions between agriculture, ecotourism, mining and urban needs. This project examines how to reconcile these competing uses in the face of water scarcity and global change, with the aim of contributing to climate justice and environmental solutions.

UCLouvain’s contribution

“I am interested in integrating local knowledge and scientific knowledge to develop interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary methods for the eco-economic assessment of water ecosystem services. My approach combines participatory geographic information systems (GIS), multi-criteria valuation and analysis of the impacts of resource use. By leveraging principles of ecological economics and political ecology, I seek to identify governance opportunities to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems and populations in the face of global change. " - Professor Leonith Hinojosa.