Indicadores para evaluar la sustentabilidad ambiental en áreas destinadas a la conservación: caso reserva natural Umbral Cultural Horizontes.

Abstract

In Colombia, the creation of Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) has been insufficient to address problems such as deforestation, since it does not consider the social and economic dynamics of local communities. In this context, this research seeks to formulate indicators to evaluate the sustainability of NPAs, using as a case study the Umbral Cultural Horizontes Civil Society Natural Reserve, located on the eastern side of the city of Bogota, Colombia. From this search, 24 key variables used to evaluate sustainability in natural protected areas in Latin America were identified. An analysis of influence and dependence revealed that 13 of these variables are significantly interrelated. Thus, the results highlight that the most relevant variables for assessing sustainability in these areas not only include ecological factors, but also economic and social factors, highlighting the importance of an integrated assessment. In this way, it was possible to reduce the dimensionality between variables, grouping them according to their level of correlation, which made it possible to propose five integral indicators to evaluate the sustainability of a Natural Protected Area. These indicators consider the interrelation between the social, economic and ecological dimensions, and their implementation requires taking into account the dynamic changes that occur in the natural area over time. In the case of the Umbral Cultural Horizontes Civil Society Nature Reserve, located near the city of Bogotá, several environmental challenges have been identified. Despite being an integral part of the city's Main Ecological Structure, the reserve has suffered from the impact of mining and reforestation with non-native timber species, leading to the decline and loss of ecosystems and environmental degradation of the reserve (Fundación Cerros de Bogotá, 2016). However, after being declared a Civil Society Reserve, the Fundación Cerros de Bogotá has led various activities to recover this space. These initiatives have involved society as a dynamic element of change, which has allowed for positive results in the recovery of the reserve. To identify and evaluate changes in the reserve, an integral approach was used that combined the interpretation of satellite images and surveys. The application of sustainability indicators in the Umbral Cultural Horizontes Civil Society Nature Reserve yielded significant results, with values between 0 and 5, where those closest to 5 indicate better management of variables associated with sustainability. The application of sustainability indicators in the reserve yielded significant results. By using indicators such as the Ecotourism Sustainability Index (ESI), the Ecological and Economic Balance Indicator, the Integral Conservation Indicator (ICI), and the Cultural Sustainability and Tourism Indicator (CSTI), which fed into the Integral Sustainability Indicator, a value of 4,09 out of 5 was obtained. This reflects the high level of sustainability of the reserve, by demonstrating the progress made in conservation and showing that the proposed indicators are an effective tool for assessing and monitoring the conditions of the reserve. The application of these indicators provides a comprehensive view which guarantees the long-term protection of biodiversity.