Empowering Quito’s local stakeholders for Disaster Risk Reduction by applying the concept of Nature-based Solutions to the Quebradas

Empowering Quito’s local stakeholders for disaster risk reduction by applying the concept of Nature-based Solutions to the Quebradas

by Tannya Pico ¹ & Alexander Jachnow ²

1: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and ISOCARP Institute
2. Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST)

This article was presented at the Nature in the City Annual Event in Sciences Po University, Paris (France) in December 2024.

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Introduction

In response to the escalating impacts of climate change, urban areas worldwide need to find innovative approaches to increase their resilience. As Nature-based Solutions (NbS) combine the characteristics and potential of natural assets to address environmental and societal challenges this approach has gained substantial attention. The development of various solutions under the umbrella concept of NbS has been considerable in recent years, however, significant barriers still exist to its effective implementation and its potential to empower communities for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in a climate change scenario.

Cities in the Global South, such as Quito, Ecuador, are particularly vulnerable due to rapid urbanization, socio-economic inequalities, and fragile ecosystems. Quito is prone to climate-related disasters, including landslides, floods, and droughts, which are magnified by its mountainous terrain and rapid expansion of informal settlements. While national and municipal governments have made efforts to mitigate these risks, the complexity of the challenges necessitates greater involvement of local communities. Community empowerment in disaster risk reduction (DRR) represents a critical pathway for fostering resilience, as it enables citizens to contribute to decision-making, implement locally relevant solutions, and build adaptive capacities.

We examine the role of stakeholder empowerment in addressing the DRR for climate impacts in Quito, Ecuador, with a particular focus on the quebradas (ravines). As critical natural and ecological features, the quebradas are central to urban water management, biodiversity conservation, and disaster mitigation. However, they are increasingly threatened by urban encroachment, deforestation, and climate change. This study highlights the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and governance dimensions in managing the quebradas and explores how the empowerment of local stakeholders —residents, community organizations, local governments, and private actors— can foster sustainable and equitable adaptation strategies. Unfortunately, national and local policies are not yet taking this role fully into account and the quebradas still suffer from degradation, it reflects a broader tension between rapid urbanization and environmental sustainability, highlighting the need for comprehensive urban planning strategies that prioritize the protection and restoration of these critical ecological features.

This paper looks into bottom-up understandings of the Cooperativa Alianza Solidaria. A low-income community that undertook a self-managed restoration of the Quebrada Ortega, located next to their neighborhood in the South of Quito. The community restored 550 meters of the quebrada Ortega to create a safe and clean public linear park with the additional value of leaving flooding space in their banks. Even without knowing the term of NbS, or even the full notion of climate change, they use the mingas (a traditional practice of voluntary collaborative work) as the main strategy for cooperation. Drawing from the case study, absorptive capacities and participatory action research, this paper identifies pathways for enhancing local agency, promoting community collaboration, and integrating traditional ecological knowledge with innovative solutions. The findings underline the importance of participatory governance in addressing the vulnerabilities of the quebradas while reinforcing the resilience of Quito’s urban communities to climate change.

Theoretical Framework

NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AND DRR

Over the last decades, as the study of climate change has deepened, several concepts have become a subject of study. The notion of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) provides an integrative theoretical framework, in which concepts such as biodiversity conservation, natural capital, or ecosystem services are included, together with inputs from governance, policymaking, and biodiversity conservation practices (Convention on Biological Diversity, 2004; Gomez-Baggethun et al., 2010; Daly and Farley, 2011; Nesshöver et al., 2017).

NbS are defined as cost-effective strategies in coping with climate change effects that cover a wide range of actions and interventions, which are characterised by their multifunctionality, as they aim to provide environmental and socioeconomic benefits (Cohen-Schacham et al., 2016; Nesshover et al., 2012). They constitute an interface for climate action that makes use of natural resources to provide positive outcomes to mitigate the effects and adapt to climate change effects (Cohen-Schacham et al., 2016; Nesshover et al., 2017).

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) represents a critical societal challenge addressed within the broader framework of NbS. Among the various NbS approaches, ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) stands out as a strategy specifically designed to mitigate risks associated with natural hazards. In his literature review, Nehren, et. al, (2023) states that while the concept of NbS in the context of natural hazards has gained significant traction in academic discourse, relatively few studies focus on specific case studies or the implementation of NbS in defined geographic contexts. Although many articles reference natural hazards, they often prioritize other societal challenges unrelated to disaster risk reduction (DRR) or remain confined to a conceptual discussion. A closer examination reveals that prior to 2015, no research explicitly employed the term “nature-based solutions.” Instead, earlier studies predominantly used frameworks such as sustainable land management (SLM), integrated water resources management (IWRM), and integrated fire management (IFM), which, despite predating the NbS terminology, align with its broader principles. Since 2015, however, the term NbS has been increasingly adopted in literature related to natural hazards, though it is often employed as a general label rather than to describe a distinct methodological approach.

Nevertheless, recognizing community-led NbS into DRR strategies is essential for building resilient and sustainable cities in the face of escalating natural hazards and climate change impacts. NbS not only mitigate risks by leveraging the protective functions of ecosystems, such as reducing flood risks, but they also provide co-benefits, including biodiversity conservation, recreational opportunities, carbon sequestration, and enhanced human well-being. Unlike traditional engineered solutions, NbS are adaptive, cost-effective, and capable of addressing complex, interconnected challenges in a holistic manner.

KNOWLEDGE, TRANSDISCIPLINARITY AND ACAPs

Knowledge is the understanding of a certain subject acquired by a person or people in general via experience or study. Such a definition implies a broad sense of types of knowledge and sources and therefore, poses a tension between disciplinary knowledge and the need for a more integrated, holistic approach. While traditional disciplinary boundaries may not be sufficient to address complex issues as they lack other types of non-disciplinary knowledge, more integrative approaches may present important challenges related to collaboration and resistance. One step for solving these challenges is the transdisciplinarity approach, based on the interaction of five knowledge cultures (Brown, 2010). While conventional approaches tended to establish disciplinary boundaries of knowledge, strengthening knowledge specialization, the interaction of disciplines and the integration of various types of knowledge has proven to be key in understanding complex realities and solving problems. Such an integration implies recognising the existence of different types of knowledge and knowledge sources, such as general information, data, lived experiences, legal frameworks, etc.

However, Brown’s model does not fully address the practical challenges and limitations of implementing transdisciplinary approaches in complex contexts, such as potential conflicts, power dynamics, and practical difficulties that may arise when attempting to integrate knowledge from such diverse sources. In that sense, the ACAPs model is presented as complementary, since by proposing the different phases of knowledge absorption, the model is also based on collaboration and knowledge integration and therefore accounts for the mitigating factors that may affect this process.

For this research, both models are integrated. On the one hand, under the framework of transdisciplinarity, this research acknowledges that no NbS initiative can be effectively implemented lacking a common knowledge framework for decision-making and action; fragmented interaction among stakeholders results in difficulties for effective implementation and therefore, collaboration among different knowledge cultures, and therefore, stakeholders, is key for facilitating knowledge integration. On the other hand, the ACAPs model proposed by Zahra and George (2002) is used to understand the different stages in which the knowledge cultures interactions happen and further contribute to the absorption of new knowledge and, consequently, in reaching each initiative’s objectives. The ACAPs model introduces a holistic perspective, as it accounts for both the four stages of knowledge absorption and the contingency factors that influence the valuing and the exploitation of new knowledge into each initiative.

THE QUEBRADAS OF QUITO

Due to its location, Quito has a subtropical highland climate with two rainy seasons each year, in March/April and later in October. These rainy periods are often accompanied by violent thunderstorms (Neill and Jorgensen, 2016). The rainfall at high elevations feeds the headwater ravines, known locally as quebradas. However, these ravines are typically steep, with depths of around 15 to 20 meters, and only carry water during intense precipitation events (Peltre, 1989). At one point, Quito had approximately 182 (Figure 1) ravines within its urban area (Metzgerand and Bemúdez, 1996). Unfortunately, many of these ravines have been severely impacted by the city’s rapid urban development. Over the years, they became filled with garbage and debris, leading to blockages and hindering the natural flow of water.

Furthermore, large areas of the city are covered with water-resistant surface materials such as concrete, which prevent rainwater from recharging the groundwater by soaking into the soil or slowly flowing into the main streams. Instead, the rainwater is forced to flow rapidly over the urban roads, collecting garbage and dirt and carrying more surface pollutants (Serra-Llobet et al., 2013). Consequently, there are major concerns regarding the risks associated with groundwater contamination. Every year during the rainy season, disastrous events are reported, caused by flooding, landslides, and damage to the water drainage system (Aragundi, 2016). Moreover, due to changes in precipitation patterns resulting from climate change, there is likely to be an increase in the current discharge in the tropical Andes (Buytaert, 2008). This increase will exacerbate the dangers associated with filled ravines, leading to greater runoff in urban areas (Perrin, 2001).

The quebradas of Quito, which historically served as vital ecological corridors and natural drainage systems, have experienced significant degradation due to the pressures of urban sprawl. Originally, these ravines provided essential ecosystem services, including water filtration, flood regulation, and biodiversity conservation. However, during the city’s history, the unplanned expansion of urban areas has led to their encroachment and ecological disruption.

The morphology of the colonial urban matrix overlayed urban expansion with the ravines or the Pichincha volcano´s slopes and indigenous forest reserves (Cuvi, 2017). The surroundings of the city used to serve for deer, rabbit, and bird hunting, and the ejidos, formerly communal lands for agriculture, were declared property of the Spaniard King and the municipality of Quito, for what mountains and water resources were no longer at the service of locals but almost only for the upper classes (Cuvi, 2017). One of its consequences was the drying and filling of the city ravines, to provide more available land for urban sprawl (Terry, 1834; Orton, 1870).

During the second peak of Quito’s urban sprawl, around the 1940s and 1950s, more ravines were dried to connect the old city with the new housing developments that surrounded it. Other water sources, such as the Machángara River, were used as a sewer for wastewater and other toxic substances (Aragundi, 2016). Urban development has resulted in the infilling and channelization of many quebradas, reducing their hydrological functions and altering natural water flow patterns. Additionally, informal settlements and infrastructural development on steep slopes have increased soil erosion, sedimentation, and the risk of landslides. These processes are exacerbated by inadequate waste management, which has led to the accumulation of solid waste and pollution in the ravines, further diminishing their environmental quality.

Photos by Cooperativa Alianza Solidaria

The historical exclusion of Quito’s quebradas from urban planning poses severe dangers, as highlighted by the catastrophic landslide in the areas of La Comuna and La Gasca, northwest of Quito, in January 2022. This tragedy, triggered by intense rainfall, caused 28 dead, 1 missing, 52 injured, 170 people affected, 53 families affected, 60 public properties destroyed, 52 private properties affected, among others. The material that came down from the upper part of the El Tejado ravine, located on the slopes of Pichincha, travelled a distance of more than 2.8 kilometres from the zero zone of the landslide (Ortiz 2022), carrying with it large masses of mud, rocks, animal remains, garbage and even logs from deforestation in the ravine itself, among other materials. This event underscores the urgent need to incorporate quebradas into Quito’s disaster risk reduction plans as key components of flood control and slope stabilization. Without such integration, the city remains highly vulnerable to future disasters, particularly in the context of increasing climate variability and urban sprawl.

As an attempt to change the pattern and protect the quebradas, in 2012, Quito’s local government recognized the challenges posed by the city’s ravines and their importance in the city’s adaptation plan to climate change. This was achieved by declaring the ravine system a Natural and Cultural Heritage of the city through Municipal Ordinance 350 of 2012. This designation provides a legal framework and allocates public resources for conservation and restoration efforts. The ravines’ recovery plan encompasses various aspects such as environmental and risk management, landscape improvement, and the development of recreational and ecological corridors and green spaces. The city’s ravine system has also been included in the Urban Green Network of the Metropolitan Development and Zoning Plans (DMQ, 2012). Recognizing the crucial role of the ravines in the city’s sustainability plans presents an opportunity to foster community identity, self-esteem, culture, and integration through a strong and active citizen participation model (Serra-Llobet et al., 2013).

The responsibility of implementing the ordinance was given to the Empresa Pública Metropolitana de Agua Potable y Saneamiento (EPMAPS), which is the Metropolitan Public Company of Water Supply and Sanitation. The first step taken by the company was to commission various studies to restore the urban ravines, starting with the southern part of the city. However, the implementation of the restoration plan has been delayed due to budget constraints and the high cost of operationalizing solutions to address water contamination.

Overall, historically, the quebradas of Quito have increasingly been perceived as marginal spaces rather than integral components of the urban landscape, leading to neglect of urban planning initiatives. This neglect undermines efforts to integrate them into sustainable urban development frameworks, exacerbating their degradation.

Case Study of Community Empowerment in Quito

QUEBRADA ORTEGA: A BOTTOM-UP RAVINE RESTORATION INITIATIVE

The selected case study initiative has been part of the pool of greening initiatives identified as NbS in the Urban by Nature project funded by the Horizon 2020 EU program in Ecuador. The initiative, led by ICLEI, aims to strengthen international cooperation on sustainable urbanization between the EU and CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States). The primary objective is to increase the natural reproduction of ecosystem resources by improving the peri-urban habitats and promoting a paradigm shift towards public awareness of natural wealth and co-creation processes by residents (Robrecht, 2019).

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