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Let's save the lomas! : exploring the barriers and opportunities for the collective action at Lomas de Pamplona in Lima, Peru

Salas Alfaro, Evelyn Lisseth LU (2020) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20201
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Urban populations are growing rapidly with several environmental and social effects in the process. At a governance level, resources go from being regulated by federal and state institutions into being considered urban areas governed by the local government. Nevertheless, this can neglect the enforcement of existing laws for many reasons that deteriorate urban resources due to a rivalry in the types of usage. As a result, local groups of citizens transform urban resources into shared resources to enforce laws with support from the local government and collectively manage it to guarantee the fulfillment of their current and future needs. This thesis explores the case of Lomas de Pamplona (LP), a social-ecological system (SES) in the Nueva... (More)
Urban populations are growing rapidly with several environmental and social effects in the process. At a governance level, resources go from being regulated by federal and state institutions into being considered urban areas governed by the local government. Nevertheless, this can neglect the enforcement of existing laws for many reasons that deteriorate urban resources due to a rivalry in the types of usage. As a result, local groups of citizens transform urban resources into shared resources to enforce laws with support from the local government and collectively manage it to guarantee the fulfillment of their current and future needs. This thesis explores the case of Lomas de Pamplona (LP), a social-ecological system (SES) in the Nueva Rinconada (NR) sector, part of San Juan de Miraflores (SJM) district within Metropolitan Lima. A group composed by SJM citizens, called the LP collective, has arisen to protect this unique ecosystem from urban sprawl in the form of encroachment and land trafficking. Through interviews and literature review, first, second and third-tier variables from the SES framework were selected to understand how the collective manages LP, the social and ecological outcomes, and how to overcome these challenges from a SES perspective through urban commons theory.

The findings indicate the collective has a close collaboration with SJM authorities as well as environmental and media networks that enable reaching governmental and civic actors in different levels. Likewise, LP collective has a weak social network established by Flor de Amancaes, one of the 144 slums within the NR sector. This weakness comes about due to conflicts that come from clashes of interest, lack of knowledge about the SES, absence of acknowledgment about LP importance to slums’ livelihood and a weak social capital among direct users. Therefore, the ecological conditions have remained the same from slums’ daily activities. Yet, the informal monitoring activities and the network with the SJM municipality have put land trafficking and encroachment attempts that represent the main human pressure to the ecosystem on pause. According to the urban commons theory, the SJM municipality needs to be more supportive to integrate other slums into the collective action promoted by the LP collective. Social capital, knowledge of LP and acknowledgment of the importance of LP in slums’ livelihood are essential to develop a stronger social network that could decrease the conflicts in the area. (Less)
Popular Abstract (Spanish)
Las poblaciones urbanas están creciendo rápidamente con varios efectos ambientales y sociales en el proceso. A nivel de gobernanza, los recursos pasan de estar regulados por instituciones federales y estatales a ser considerados áreas urbanas gobernadas por el gobierno local. Sin embargo, esto puede descuidar la aplicación de las leyes existentes por muchas razones que deterioran los recursos urbanos debido a la rivalidad en los tipos de uso. Como resultado, los grupos locales de ciudadanos transforman los recursos urbanos en recursos compartidos para hacer cumplir las leyes con el apoyo del gobierno local y gestionarlas colectivamente para garantizar el cumplimiento de sus necesidades actuales y futuras. Esta tesis explora el caso de... (More)
Las poblaciones urbanas están creciendo rápidamente con varios efectos ambientales y sociales en el proceso. A nivel de gobernanza, los recursos pasan de estar regulados por instituciones federales y estatales a ser considerados áreas urbanas gobernadas por el gobierno local. Sin embargo, esto puede descuidar la aplicación de las leyes existentes por muchas razones que deterioran los recursos urbanos debido a la rivalidad en los tipos de uso. Como resultado, los grupos locales de ciudadanos transforman los recursos urbanos en recursos compartidos para hacer cumplir las leyes con el apoyo del gobierno local y gestionarlas colectivamente para garantizar el cumplimiento de sus necesidades actuales y futuras. Esta tesis explora el caso de Lomas de Pamplona (LP), un sistema socioecológico (SES) en el sector Nueva Rinconada (NR), parte del distrito San Juan de Miraflores (SJM) dentro de Lima Metropolitana. Un grupo compuesto por ciudadanos de SJM, llamado colectivo LP, ha surgido para proteger este ecosistema único de la expansión urbana en forma de invasión y tráfico de tierras. A través de entrevistas y revisión de la literatura, se seleccionaron variables de primer, segundo y tercer nivel del marco de SES para comprender cómo el colectivo maneja LP, los resultados sociales y ecológicos, y cómo superar estos desafíos desde una perspectiva de SES a través de la teoría de los bienes comunes urbanos.

Los hallazgos indican que el colectivo tiene una estrecha colaboración con las autoridades de SJM, así como con redes ambientales y de medios que permiten llegar a los actores gubernamentales y cívicos en diferentes niveles. Asimismo, el colectivo LP tiene una red social débil conformada por Flor de Amancaes, uno de los 144 asentamientos humanos dentro del sector NR. Esta debilidad se debe a conflictos que surgen por enfrentamientos de intereses, desconocimiento sobre el SES, ausencia de reconocimiento sobre la importancia del LP para el sustento de los barrios marginales y un capital social débil entre los usuarios directos. Por lo tanto, las condiciones ecológicas se han mantenido iguales debido a las actividades diarias de los barrios marginales. Sin embargo, las actividades de monitoreo informal y la red con el municipio de SJM han puesto en pausa el tráfico de tierras y los intentos de invasión que representan la principal presión humana sobre el ecosistema. Según la teoría de los bienes comunes urbanos, el municipio de SJM necesita brindar más apoyo para integrar otros barrios marginales en la acción colectiva promovida por el colectivo LP. El capital social, el conocimiento de la LP y el reconocimiento de la importancia de la LP en los medios de vida de los barrios marginales son esenciales para desarrollar una red social más fuerte que pueda disminuir los conflictos en el área. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Salas Alfaro, Evelyn Lisseth LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20201
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Social-ecological systems, coastal lomas, urban commons, collective action, urban ecosystems, Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2020:054
language
English
id
9031544
date added to LUP
2020-11-05 08:29:00
date last changed
2020-11-05 08:29:00
@misc{9031544,
  abstract     = {{Urban populations are growing rapidly with several environmental and social effects in the process. At a governance level, resources go from being regulated by federal and state institutions into being considered urban areas governed by the local government. Nevertheless, this can neglect the enforcement of existing laws for many reasons that deteriorate urban resources due to a rivalry in the types of usage. As a result, local groups of citizens transform urban resources into shared resources to enforce laws with support from the local government and collectively manage it to guarantee the fulfillment of their current and future needs. This thesis explores the case of Lomas de Pamplona (LP), a social-ecological system (SES) in the Nueva Rinconada (NR) sector, part of San Juan de Miraflores (SJM) district within Metropolitan Lima. A group composed by SJM citizens, called the LP collective, has arisen to protect this unique ecosystem from urban sprawl in the form of encroachment and land trafficking. Through interviews and literature review, first, second and third-tier variables from the SES framework were selected to understand how the collective manages LP, the social and ecological outcomes, and how to overcome these challenges from a SES perspective through urban commons theory. 

The findings indicate the collective has a close collaboration with SJM authorities as well as environmental and media networks that enable reaching governmental and civic actors in different levels. Likewise, LP collective has a weak social network established by Flor de Amancaes, one of the 144 slums within the NR sector. This weakness comes about due to conflicts that come from clashes of interest, lack of knowledge about the SES, absence of acknowledgment about LP importance to slums’ livelihood and a weak social capital among direct users. Therefore, the ecological conditions have remained the same from slums’ daily activities. Yet, the informal monitoring activities and the network with the SJM municipality have put land trafficking and encroachment attempts that represent the main human pressure to the ecosystem on pause. According to the urban commons theory, the SJM municipality needs to be more supportive to integrate other slums into the collective action promoted by the LP collective. Social capital, knowledge of LP and acknowledgment of the importance of LP in slums’ livelihood are essential to develop a stronger social network that could decrease the conflicts in the area.}},
  author       = {{Salas Alfaro, Evelyn Lisseth}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Let's save the lomas! : exploring the barriers and opportunities for the collective action at Lomas de Pamplona in Lima, Peru}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}