Fortalecimiento de la gestión del Geoparque Volcán Tunhurahua mediante el diseño del Plan de Comunicación, Educación y Participación Ambiental (CEPA).

Abstract

Abstract: The UNESCO Geopark Tungurahua Volcano faces problems of soil erosion and poor waste management in geosites; the study designs the Communication, Education, and Environmental Participation Plan (CEPA Plan) to strengthen its environmental management and the social appropriation of the territory. A qualitative methodology of participatory action research and grounded theory was used, with document review, five interviews, and four workshops with institutional, community, and educational stakeholders. The diagnosis identified key stakeholders and prioritized erosion and the expansion of the agricultural frontier on the Huisla, Mulmul, and Igualata volcanoes, along with the accumulation of waste in highly visited geosites. With this input, a CEPA Plan was formulated in three components; Communication, education, and participation, desired changes, actions, materials, partnerships, and resources, through workshops on agroecological practices, awareness campaigns, clean-up brigades, and environmental interpretation, all linked to a participatory monitoring system. The plan is designed as a viable instrument to guide interventions, improve the environmental management of the geopark, and consolidate co-responsible governance around the conservation of its geological and biocultural heritage.