Identificación de problemáticas socio-ambientales en el cantón Portovelo, provincia de El Oro, 2020

Abstract

Abstract: Portovelo historically has stood out for the exploitation of gold, considering the first mining center of Ecuador; however, with the passage of time various socio-environmental problems have arisen. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the main socio-environmental problems in Portovelo and propose a solution strategy for them. For this, structured surveys were applied to the inhabitants of the canton, considering that their perception is important since it allows knowing the real state of the area. This study determined that the most affected resources are: water, air and soil; product of the development and poor planning of the mining activity, which points to the mining companies as the main responsible for the problems. In this context, it is arises and proposed to implement a reforestation project using the species Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. Ex. Lam.) Urb., in areas degraded by mining activity, since its effectiveness is evidenced to recover the edaphic conditions of the soil, subsequently allowing revegetation with endemic species of the study area, progressively rescuing air quality and water supply.