Towards Sustainable Urban Planning for Puyo (Ecuador): Amazon Forest Landscape as Potential Green Infrastructure

Thony Huera-Lucero, Adela Salas-Ruiz, Daysi Changoluisa and Carlos Bravo-Medina
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Thony Huera-Lucero: Environmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, Universidad Estatal Amazónica (UEA), Puyo 160101, Pastaza, Ecuador
Adela Salas-Ruiz: Environmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, Universidad Estatal Amazónica (UEA), Puyo 160101, Pastaza, Ecuador
Daysi Changoluisa: Environmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, Universidad Estatal Amazónica (UEA), Puyo 160101, Pastaza, Ecuador
Carlos Bravo-Medina: Environmental Conservation and Management Program, Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Puyo 160101, Pastaza, Ecuador

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-28

Abstract: The peri-urban area of Puyo, where agricultural, urban and conservation logics are mixed, is a contested area in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Rapid urban growth and agricultural activities are the main threats to the conservation of its biodiversity. To promote the conservation of natural spaces in urban planning instruments, it is necessary to first demonstrate their environmental and ecological value. In this paper, such value was analyzed by quantifying biodiversity value and carbon storage capacity in situ. The results show that Puyo’s periphery (a 4 km radius) is an opportunity space, where the conservation of its biodiversity is a key factor in strategies to promote sustainable urban development. Firstly, there are natural areas of high environmental value (secondary forest, gramalote pastures with trees and gramalote pastures) that all together fix 1,664,683 Mg CO 2 and control hydrological risks (with 80% of the green areas linked to flood areas)—valuable ecosystem services. Secondly, the conservation of biodiversity brings associated economic activities that can promote local sustainable development. Despite this, the results reveal that the conservation of peri-urban natural ecosystems is not a goal in Puyo’s urban planning strategy. Therefore, future research should be focused on urban planning tools that promote environmentally, economically and socially sustainable urban development.

Keywords: contested Amazon; ecosystem services; biodiversity conservation; carbon storage; peri-urban areas; sustainable urban growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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