Biblioteca Digital de VanguardiaWater for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica
Unplanned urban growth in Costa Rica has resulted in a disproportionate expansion of existing cities. A chaotic situation has resulted from this and the real estate industry is often blamed. In its shortsighted search for easy profits, this sector of the economy is accused of developing new housing...
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| Formato: | Revistas |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador
2021
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| Acceso en línea: | https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/4504 |
| _version_ | 1782344292859117568 |
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| author | Valenciano-Hernández, María Stephanie |
| author_facet | Valenciano-Hernández, María Stephanie |
| author_sort | Valenciano-Hernández, María Stephanie |
| collection | Revista |
| description | Unplanned urban growth in Costa Rica has resulted in a disproportionate expansion of existing cities. A chaotic situation has resulted from this and the real estate industry is often blamed. In its shortsighted search for easy profits, this sector of the economy is accused of developing new housing projects without previous adequate planning of basic service provision. This has been happening in Atenas County in Alajuela province. Here the growing population has been denied an adequate access to water. In an attempt to solve this problem, the administration implemented a project to provide water to be taken from sources in a nearby community. This triggered a dispute over the control of the water sources, which confronted Government institutions and the Atenas and Tacares communities. This article focuses both in the dispute itself and in Government-led attempts to find a negotiated solution to the conflict. A qualitative research design is used, including semi-structured interviews with both local Tacares community and institutional actors. Documentary research into official records and into local and international media reports is also performed. In the end, the article reaches the conclusion that throughout the conflict, power asymmetries between the different actors were reproduced. The research also allowed to highlight the fact that community and social participation in decision-making is only promoted once conflicts seriously escalate. |
| format | Revistas |
| id | iconos-article-4504 |
| institution | Íconos - Revista de Ciencias Sociales |
| language | Español |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | iconos-article-45042021-08-30T17:56:24Z Water for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica ¿Agua para quién? Movilización comunitaria y negociación en el conflicto socioambiental del Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica Água para quem? Mobilização e negociação comunitária no conflito socioambiental do Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica Valenciano-Hernández, María Stephanie agua crecimiento urbano conflicto socioambiental Costa Rica negociación participación comunitaria water urban growth socio-environmental conflict Costa Rica negotiation community participation água crescimento urbano conflito socioambiental Costa Rica negociação Participação da comunidade Unplanned urban growth in Costa Rica has resulted in a disproportionate expansion of existing cities. A chaotic situation has resulted from this and the real estate industry is often blamed. In its shortsighted search for easy profits, this sector of the economy is accused of developing new housing projects without previous adequate planning of basic service provision. This has been happening in Atenas County in Alajuela province. Here the growing population has been denied an adequate access to water. In an attempt to solve this problem, the administration implemented a project to provide water to be taken from sources in a nearby community. This triggered a dispute over the control of the water sources, which confronted Government institutions and the Atenas and Tacares communities. This article focuses both in the dispute itself and in Government-led attempts to find a negotiated solution to the conflict. A qualitative research design is used, including semi-structured interviews with both local Tacares community and institutional actors. Documentary research into official records and into local and international media reports is also performed. In the end, the article reaches the conclusion that throughout the conflict, power asymmetries between the different actors were reproduced. The research also allowed to highlight the fact that community and social participation in decision-making is only promoted once conflicts seriously escalate. El crecimiento urbano no planificado en Costa Rica ha originado una ampliación desmedida del anillo urbano. Como consecuencia existe un caos del que se responsabiliza al sector inmobiliario, que por favorecer sus intereses ha creado nuevos proyectos de vivienda sin una planificación previa de los servicios esenciales. Tal es el caso del cantón de Atenas, en la provincia de Alajuela, que con el aumento de población quedó desabastecido de agua. Para solucionar el problema, el Estado ejecutó un proyecto que implicaba trasladar este recurso desde las fuentes de una comunidad vecina, lo cual provocó una disputa entre los actores institucionales y las comunidades de Atenas y Tacares por las fuentes de agua. En el artículo se analiza tanto el conflicto socioambiental como la búsqueda de una resolución negociada por parte del Estado. Para esto se emplea un diseño de investigación cualitativo a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas a actores de la comunidad de Tacares y a actores institucionales; asimismo se realiza una revisión bibliográfica de actas institucionales y de publicaciones en medios de comunicación locales y nacionales. Finalmente, tras examinar el conflicto y las negociaciones se concluye, por un lado, que durante este proceso se reproducen las distintas asimetrías de poder entre actores, y, por otro, que el argumento de fomentar la participación solo se utiliza cuando los conflictos han escalado. O crescimento urbano não planejado da Costa Rica causou uma expansão excessiva do anel urbano. Como consequência, surge o caos do qual se responsabiliza o setor imobiliário, que a favor dos seus interesses tem criado novos empreendimentos habitacionais sem planejamento prévio de serviços essenciais. É o caso da localidade de Atenas, na província de Alajuela, que com o aumento da população ficou sem abastecimento de água. Para solucionar o problema, o Estado realizou um projeto que implicava a transferência desse recurso de fontes de uma comunidade do entorno, o que gerou uma disputa entre os atores institucionais e as comunidades de Atenas e Tacares pelos mananciais. O artigo analisa tanto o conflito socioambiental quanto a busca de uma solução negociada pelo Estado. Para tanto, utiliza-se um desenho de pesquisa qualitativa por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com atores da comunidade Tacares e atores institucionais. Adicionalmente, é realizada uma revisão bibliográfica de registros institucionais e publicações na mídia local e nacional. Por fim, após examinar o conflito e as negociações, conclui-se, por um lado, que durante esse processo se reproduzem as diferentes assimetrias de poder entre os atores e, por outro, que o argumento da promoção da participação só é utilizado quando os conflitos se agravam. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador 2021-01-01 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículo evaluado por pares application/pdf text/html application/xml application/epub+zip https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/4504 10.17141/iconos.69.2021.4504 Íconos - Revista de Ciencias Sociales; Núm. 69 (2021): Estrategias comunitarias frente a conflictos socioambientales: más allá de la resistencia; 35-51 Íconos - Revista de Ciencias Sociales; n. 69 (2021): Estratégias comunitárias frente aos conflitos socioambientais: além da resistência; 35-51 Íconos. Revista de Ciencias Sociales; No. 69 (2021): Community strategies for confronting socio-environmental conflicts: Beyond resistance; 35-51 1390-8065 1390-1249 spa https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/4504/3531 https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/4504/3570 https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/4504/3547 https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/4504/3578 Derechos de autor 2021 María Stephanie Valenciano-Hernández https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/deed.es_ES |
| spellingShingle | Valenciano-Hernández, María Stephanie Water for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica |
| title | Water for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica |
| title_full | Water for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica |
| title_fullStr | Water for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Water for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica |
| title_short | Water for whom? Community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in Parque Los Chorros, Costa Rica |
| title_sort | water for whom? community mobilization and negotiation during socio- environmental conflict in parque los chorros, costa rica |
| url | https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/4504 |