The Ecuador National Plan of ?Buen Vivir? and the Possible Contradictions that Arise from the End of the Yasuni ITT Initiative
- Authors
- Viteri Recalde, Andrea Carolina
- Format
- MasterThesis
- Status
- publishedVersion
- Description
The traditional discourse of economic growth has separated the consequences of environmental damage that can emerge from countries? pursuit of development goals (Alam & Islam 2005). Due to the threats that economic growth presents to the stability of the environment, recommendations have arisen for states to include new strategies in their political agendas that reconsider the impact of environmental deterioration on development discourse. In this context, this review describes the case of Ecuador, a country which has, for decades, suffered the environmental consequences of extractivists? activities and which, from 2007, has moved forwards into the implementation of a new political agenda for sustainable development. This new development agenda has become rooted in the discourse of Good Living (Sumak Kawsay in Kichwa), a traditional indigenous concept which goes beyond the economic interests of capitalism to become a new system enabling harmony and sustainability between human beings and nature. Additionally, the constitution of 2008 has become the first constitution worldwide to grant rights to nature. As a result of this shift in Ecuadorian development discourse, the country has moved towards the implementation of a biodiversity conservation initiative called ?Yasuni-ITT?. The initiative looks to keep oil underground in one of the country?s largest oil reserves in the Yasuni National Park in exchange for economic compensation from the international community (Martin 2011). However, despite initial commitment to realize this initiative, it was cancelled in 2013. The aim of this paper is to review relevant literature regarding the construction of the discourse of Good Living, examine the reasons behind its construction and, through analysis of the Yasuni-ITT initiative, show the contradictions in the alternative discourse proposed by the Ecuadorian government and the practice. The review suggests that, although the new legal perspective of Ecuador is noteworthy for representing a progressive development model, clashes persist between economic and political interests, diminishing the cope of its legal framework. In addition, the study indicates that the Sumak Kawsay discourse has resulted in controversy about its significance, raising the possibility that it has become a governmental slogan rather than a true symbol of transformation. Moreover, through analysis of the Yasuni-ITT initiative, the review argues that some technical and legal failures have taken place in the way that the initiative was proposed, meaning that structural changes should be implemented to underpin the materialization of the Yasuni-ITT initiative. Finally, the review concludes that the cancellation of the Yasuni-ITT initiative shows that the neo-extractivist interest of the government has prevailed over the interests of Good Living.
- Publication Year
- 2015
- Language
- eng
- Topic
- MEDIO AMBIENTE
CONSERVACI?N AMBIENTAL
LEGISLACI?N AMBIENTAL
YASUN?-ITT
PLAN NACIONAL DEL BUEN VIVIR
ECUADOR
- Repository
- Repositorio SENESCYT
- Rights
- openAccess
- License