The Secretary of State for the Environment and Natural Resources, and the German Cooperation are executing the Project Management of the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River (PROCARYN), through which the management plans of four protected areas located in the mountain range are elaborated. central, among which is the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve.
In this context, this report is included, which includes a Socioeconomic Update of the area of influence of the Scientific Reserve of Ébano Verde, this report, together with the existing biophysical information, will serve as inputs for the preparation of the Management Plan for this area protected, an instrument that will be the technical and legal framework for the management and conservation of natural resources and especially the "Green Ebony", reason that motivates the existence of the Reserve.
The Management Plan of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve will be a technical and normative document that will contain the set of decisions on the protected area in which, based strictly on scientific knowledge and the experience of technical applications, it will establish prohibitions and specific authorizations and will regulate the activities that are allowed in the Protected Area, indicating in detail the exact form and places where it is possible to carry out these activities.
This study exposes the fundamental socioeconomic elements that must be taken into account for planning the protected area. This document does not describe, much less analyzes biophysical elements of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve, since these are contained in the documentation delivered to the technical team that develops the Management Plan.
The geographic scope of the Socioeconomic Update of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve was focused on four peripheral communities to the protected area, although in principle five had been planned, due to the disappearance of the Loma de la Sal community due to the emigration of its inhabitants, Se These were chosen based on the localities studied by CEUR in 1993, better known as the buffer zone; This analysis takes into account the social context of each of the communities, but keeping in mind the category of protected area management.
The Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve is located in the Cordillera Central, it is contiguous to Las Neblinas Scientific Reserve and to the north of Valle Nuevo National Park. The highway that goes to the Municipality of Constanza and its communities crosses its banks.
"In the Central Cordillera 306 rivers and streams are born, 20% of the habitat of the endemic species of Flora and Fauna and 30% of bird species in the country are found." (Component Protected Areas of Procaryn, 2004) The Scientific Reserve is located in this important region, the area delimited for the Ébano Verde scientific reserve has an approximate area of 23.1 square kilometers. Due to the incursions of studies carried out in Loma Casabito, “within the phyto and zoogeographic area of the reserve, it has been determined that this locality is the place with the highest number of endemic plant species (about 28) in the Barbecue-Casabito phytogeographic subregion.. The cloud forest that inhabits there contains an extraordinary diversity of orchids (highlighting those of the Lepanthes genus), ferns,arachnids and one of the most beautiful manaclares in the country, as well as other new biological entities for science, in addition to a population of green ebony (Magnolia pallescens), which is in the process of regeneration in appreciable quantities. It should be noted that this orographic system is one of the few in the country that contains carnivorous plants such as the Pinguicola casabitoana ”(CSR, Procaryn, 2004).
2- PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Overall objective
- Identify the main socio-environmental variables resulting from the interaction of the communities that directly affect the natural resources contained in the ecosystems of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve (RCEV), in order to reconcile social and economic needs with the ecological stability necessary for the compliance with the conservation objectives of the management category and an appropriate implementation plan for the Management Plan.
Specific objectives
- Describe the social, economic, productive and environmental characteristics of the 12 communities with direct interaction with the natural resources of the ecosystems present in the RCEV. Locate, identify, characterize and evaluate the compatibility of the use of resources within and on the periphery of the RCEV. Know the socioeconomic variables (migration, family income, etc.) in order to define new development opportunities, compatible with the management and conservation of the protected area. Qualitatively assess the level of knowledge, values, attitudes, concerns and expectations key stakeholders related to the RCEV, conservation and natural resources Generate specific information for the preparation of the RCEV Management Plan,specifically for the strengthening of the zoning proposal (territorial planning) and socio-productive and environmental activities in the management programs and subprograms.
3- METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research methodology
In order to update the existing information on the socioeconomic situation in the neighboring communities of the Scientific Reserve of Ébano Verde, socioeconomic data have been collected in four peripheral communities to the Protected Area through visits, work was done on the collection of quantitative data through the application of a questionnaire and different rapid investigation techniques were used to collect qualitative data, such as focus groups, interviews with key informants familiar with the environment of the reserve and the daily development of the adjacent communities, and reconnaissance visits.
The choice of the communities and the application of the questionnaires necessary for the sampling were made with the participation of key actors and the representation of the PROGRESSIO Foundation, who made their contribution to identify the communities closest to the Reserve.
3.2 The questionnaire
The purpose of the application of the questionnaire was to collect quantitative data that would give indications on various aspects of the inhabitants of the area, including: demographic patterns of the inhabitants; economic activities; land tenure; structure of services and perceptions on natural resources and their conservation, opinion on the Scientific Reserve and the PROGRESSIO Foundation. The questionnaires were applied in the four chosen communities. The process developed in obtaining the information is described below:
- Data from existing sources (secondary information) were used; A questionnaire was applied to obtain the required primary information; Activities involving the use of resources were located in the Reserve buffer zone as precisely as possible, to make a detailed description of these practices and identify who they are and the communities where the people who carry out the activities live; Interviews were conducted with key informants; Detailed tours of the peripheral area to visually identify the practices developed by the inhabitants; Identification and interviews with farmers and others involved in the use of resources in each of the communities involved; consultations with other key local informants (local authorities, teachers,Associations of farmers, women and youth groups). Obtained data on the socioeconomic situation in the peripheral area of the Reserve, the research has focused on the following areas: Socioeconomic situation of the communities, communal infrastructure and access to services; Population access to infrastructure and technical and social assistance services (health, education, markets); Family income; Transactions and land ownership situation. Land use, on the periphery of the Reserve.Population access to infrastructure and technical and social assistance services (health, education, markets); Family income; Transactions and land ownership situation. Land use, on the periphery of the Reserve.Population access to infrastructure and technical and social assistance services (health, education, markets); Family income; Transactions and land ownership situation. Land use, on the periphery of the Reserve.
3.3 The in-depth interview
It is a collection technique that allows to extract from the consulted subjects the necessary information to access a universe of meanings, concepts and meanings about situations alien or distant to the research staff, through discursive material that can only be provided by the interviewee.
3.4 The focus groups
It is a field information gathering technique in which the aim is to bring together a group of people who share certain characteristics relevant to the study questions, in an environment that provokes spontaneous discussion and open expression so that the different points are heard. of views.
This technique seeks to: know the points of view of the different people (men and women) to identify and classify the different situations, know their opinions on the situation of natural resources and the attitude of the state institutions that work in the protection and conservation of them, existing projects and state institutions or non-governmental organizations that affect the area.
In this methodological design, it was contemplated to choose community leaders, landowners in the area adjacent to the Reserve, local authorities (pediatric mayors, school teachers), agricultural producers, and representatives of women's and youth groups to participate in the focus groups.
3.5 Combination of interviews and documentation
In order to obtain the necessary information, the secondary documentation available from the Reserve's area of influence and from the relevant institutions has been reviewed. In addition, through field visits, part of the representatives of the selected communities in the communities adjacent to the Protected Area have been interviewed.
Through the combination of the different qualitative and quantitative methods, and the application of different methodological tools, a database has been obtained that has made it possible to make approximations to characterize the socioeconomic situation of the communities studied.
3.6 Sample criteria
The same communities in which the socioeconomic study was carried out in 1993 were selected, so that it allows us to make comparisons, see the progress or setbacks that have occurred in the period, know the perception of the community regarding the Reserve. Green Ebony scientist and the actions that the PROGRESSIO Foundation has been developing in the peripheral area.
For the application of the questionnaire to the heads of household in the peripheral communities of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve, the sample was selected taking into account the quantity of the population of the localities, according to the Population and Housing Census of 2002.
3.7 Methodological steps
To date, the following methodological steps have been applied in preparing the study:
Step 1: Collection and analysis of existing secondary information;
Step 2: Preparation of survey reports at the household level;
Step 3: Interviews with local actors;
Step 4: Preparatory meetings for data collection;
Step 5: Collection of data through survey reports at the family household level;
Step 6: Workshops with key actors
3.8 Data analysis
Each individual data collection tool can only reflect part of reality. For this reason, the application of a combination of different methodological tools has been proposed and in this way a database has been obtained that has made it possible to make appropriate approximations to carry out the socioeconomic diagnosis of the peripheral rural communities to the protected area and identify trends in its development.
The results obtained from the household interviews are indicative and very particular for each community in which they were applied, so they cannot be generalized for each of them. The people interviewed are not necessarily representative of the general community. This study is therefore an approximation, which has been tried to deepen through the phases that its development has followed.
4- STUDY AREA
The geographic scope of the socioeconomic study of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve covers the communities located in the peripheral zone; This analysis takes into account the social context of each one of the localities, but bearing in mind that this protected area is managed in correspondence with its management category, where each area will have its own characteristics that may very well fulfill different functions and which Both involve different management strategies.
Scientific reserve / Strict reserve: this management category is defined by IUCN as: “Terrestrial and / or marine areas that have exceptional or representative ecosystems, with particular geological or physiographic characteristics and / or species of singular interest for scientific and / or research environmental monitoring, with no or very little presence or human activities and that, due to their uniqueness or rarity, require restricted management ”.
4.1 Location of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve
Law 202-2004 places the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve and its peripheral communities, with the limits and surface described below: the starting point is established at the highest point of the road that leads from El Abanico to Constanza where La Ermita (Virgen) is located; This area is part of the Cazabito hill, where the property of Mr. Cuqui Medrano is located. It begins at the limit of this property and continues to the north all the firm watershed that delimits the head of the Camú river in the firm of the Cazabito hill, continuing the delimitation of the Camú river basin passing to the New hill, to the hill El Col until reaching the La Meseta hill, this firm being about 10 kilometers long. On the La Meseta hill you descend to the west through a segment that reaches the Camú river,right where the confluence of the La Mata ravine and the Camú river is made. We continue to the firm of La Sal (known as El Bombillo). At this point, follow an old sawmill path located on the firm of the La Sal hill, the path that continues skirting the La Sal stream upstream crossing the skirt of the La Golondrina hill until reaching the Arroyazo stream. In this part of the limit, the road and the El Arroyazo stream continue parallel until reaching a ravine that crosses behind the property of General García Tejada until it adjoins the estate of Mr. Ricardo Hernández. This farm has its limit in the Cazabito hill until reaching the property of Mr. Cuqui Medrano, which is the place where the area of the scientific reserve is closed. To this area of the reserve are added all the lands of Parcel No.155 of the Cadastral District No.3 of Jarabacoa, lands that are property of the Dominican State. The area delimited for the Ébano Verde scientific reserve has an approximate area of 23.1 square kilometers, being located between the coordinates 70 ° 31 ′ and 70 ° 35 ′ west longitude and 19 ° 01 and 19 ° 06 ′ north latitude, and located in quadrant 334-341 and 2104-211 UTM coordinates, corresponding to topographic sheet 6073 II Jarabacoa.
The previously described polygon encloses an area of approximately 23.1 square kilometers.
When reviewing the limits of the RCEV, it has been determined that 12 communities are located around it that directly or indirectly interact with the natural resources and biodiversity of the protected area, with different pressure levels and with sociodemographic changes that would allow through an in-depth study, determine the social and environmental interactions between the communities and the protected area, taking the COMANEJO figure that exists in it as the main reference point. The 12 communities are detailed below:
- La Palma; Arroyo Prieto; El Arroyazo; Palmarito; Paso Bajito; La Sal; (not inhabited but with agriculture); Mata Puerco; El Faro; Guarey; Mata de Plátano; Mata Gorda; El Salto de Jimenoa
Of the twelve communities it is considered necessary to develop in order to provide a comparative analysis with the study carried out by CEUR in 1993, those presented in Table No. 1.
4.2 Characteristics of the municipalities
Municipality of La Vega, is located to the north of the Province of La Vega. It has an area of 651.3 km². The municipality is made up of 19 sections and 125 sites with a total population of 220,279 inhabitants of which 109,674 people are women (49.8%). The rural population is 121,893 people, corresponding to 55% of the total population. The economically active population is 118,292 inhabitants (53.7%) (ONE, VIII National Census of Population and Housing, 2002). The geographical limits of the municipality of La Vega are: to the north Cutupú and Cayetano Germosén; to the south the municipalities of Jarabacoa and Constanza; to the west with Villa Tapia and San Francisco de Macorís and to the west the municipalities of Santiago and Jánico.
The vast majority of the municipality belongs to the subtropical humid forest life zone. The soils are deep and have a texture that varies from light to heavy. A part of the land is cultivated under irrigation, especially in the communities of Pontón, El Pino, Rancho Viejo, others in dry land, such as the communities of Licey and Barranca. Table 4 indicates the employment structure of the municipality of La Vega.
As can be seen in Table 4, employment opportunities depend primarily on the informal sector. The economic activity of the municipality depends in part on agriculture; the crops of greater economic importance are; rice, banana, yucca, oriental vegetables. Important economic activities are carried out in the free zones, commerce and agro-industries, such as animal feed factories, furniture manufacturing, rice processors, and oriental vegetable exporters located in the communities of Sabaneta and Las Cabuyas. For the municipality of La Vega, it is estimated that approximately 45% of the population of 'working age' is unemployed (CONARE, 2001).
4.2.1 Jarabacoa
The municipality of Jarabacoa belongs to the province of La Vega. It comprises an area of 690 km². The population is 56,931 inhabitants, of which 27,856 people are women (48.9%). The rural population is 29,561 people, corresponding to 52% of the total population. The economically active population is 18,988 inhabitants (33.4%) (ONE, VIII National Census of Population and Housing, 2002).
The municipality has 11 sections and 125 sites, of which 59 belong to the rural areas of the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River. The geographical limits are: to the north La Vega; to the south Constance; to the east Monsignor Nouel and to the west Jánico and Santiago. It belongs to the subtropical humid forest life zone. Annual average rainfall is 1,980mm and the average annual temperature is 22 ºC. Table 5 indicates the structure of employment in the municipality of Jarabacoa.
It can be seen that the economy of the municipality of Jarabacoa depends first of all on agriculture and its main production lines: traditional vegetables, coffee, green beans, tayota, flowers, export vegetables, largely produced under irrigation and livestock. In addition, commercial activities, mountain tourism, agribusiness and banking services are carried out. An estimated approximately 60% of the population of 'working age' is unemployed (CONARE, 2001).
4.2.2 Constance
The municipality of Constanza belongs to the province of La Vega. It comprises an area of 841 km². It is made up of 3 sections and 39 sites. The total population is 42,416 inhabitants. The rural population is 15,326 people, which corresponds to 36% of the total population. The economically active population is 18,355 inhabitants (43.2%) (ONE, VIII National Census of Population and Housing, 2002). The geographical limits of the municipality are: to the north, La Vega and Jarabacoa; to the south San José de Ocoa, to the east Monsignor Nouel and to the west the municipality of Jánico. Table 6 indicates the structure of employment in the municipality of Jarabacoa.
It can be seen that the economy basically depends on agriculture, especially the cultivation of garlic, potatoes, vegetables, flowers and some vegetables for export. In addition, other economic activities of the informal sector, agro-industry, commerce and tourism are developed. Table 7 indicates the communities of the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River that belong to the municipality of Constanza.
4.2.3 Tireo
Tireo is a Municipal District that belongs to the municipality of Constanza, therefore the geographic and economic data are included in the information of this municipality. The total population is 16,184 inhabitants. The rural population is 12,472 people, corresponding to 77% of the total population (ONE, VIII National Census of Population and Housing, 2002). Table 8 indicates the communities of the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River that belong to the municipality of Tireo.
5- RESULTS OF THE SOCIOECNOMIC UPDATE
5.1 Demographic characteristics of the communities
The total number of surveys applied in the four communities investigated was 53. According to the size and therefore the amount of population of the communities, they are manifested in the number of questionnaires carried out, the community of La Palma being quite large and the one with the most relationship With the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve where the greatest number of interviews were conducted, 52.83% of the questions asked were in this community.
The average age of the respondents is 45 years, showing a difference of eight years in relation to the CEUR survey, 1993, in which the average of the residents was 53 years old.
20.75% of the respondents say they have come from another place, predominantly from the municipalities of Jarabacoa and Constanza. Being the communities of Paso Bajito and La Palma where there is the most roots, 94.5% of those surveyed in Paso Bajito say they originate from this community, while in La Palma 79.0% of those surveyed say they were born there, as can be seen in table number 10.
When determining the origin of the parents of the respondents, both the mother and the father were taken into account, although only 20.75% claimed to come from another community, their parents come from different provinces and municipalities, in several cases both parents come from the same community.
In the community of La Palma 100% stated that their father came from another community, likewise 72.0% of the mothers come from other communities. In El Arroyazo 100.0% of parents come from the communities of Jarabacoa and Constanza; and 80.0% of the mothers of the respondents come from the communities of Constanza and Jarabacoa. At a slow pace, the community with the largest population, 21.0% of the parents comes from other communities, mainly from Jarabacoa, the same behavior manifests itself in the mothers of the respondents. In the Palmarito community, the parents of the respondents come from the city of Jarabacoa.
79.0% of the respondents are part of a family made up of a number that ranges between 2–5 people, which shows a tendency to decrease in the number of members of rural families, characterized by being made up of a high number of members, since agricultural work requires large families to be incorporated into productive activities. 17.0% of the surveyed households are made up of a number that ranges between 6-8 members.
As can be seen in the previous table, 75.0% of the members of the surveyed families range between the ages of 10 to 60 years, able to join the agricultural activities that are carried out in the investigated communities. It is usual in the Dominican countryside to incorporate children from the age of ten into family agricultural work. In recent years, the Secretary of State for Labor has been developing a program with the objective of removing children from agricultural fields and incorporating them into school, for which it has had the support of international organizations. Among the municipalities that have joined this initiative is Constanza.
Despite the strong migratory currents that occur in the world, from which many of the communities in the mountains are not exempt, 19.0% of those who want to emigrate do so for study reasons, while the remaining 11.0% do so for work reasons, a percentage that, seen from the reality in which these communities operate, seems insignificant if we compare it with realities that other regions of the Dominican Republic experience.
5.1.2. Housing data
Regarding housing, the main materials used in construction were inquired. The questions were directed to know the materials used in the walls, floor and ceiling, obtaining the following results: 66.0% of the houses, in which the survey was carried out, have block or concrete walls, while 43.0% have the wooden walls, table number 16. The study carried out by the Center for Regional Urban Studies –CEUR- in 1993, determined that 55.0% of the houses in the same communities had their wooden walls or palm planks, and 43.0% have their walls built in blocks.
In the last decades in the different regions of the country there have been changes in people's lives, which is reflected in the type of construction of the houses, the type and construction of the same has varied considerably, several have been the factors that have influenced this, on the one hand the meteorological phenomena that have become more recurrent in the Caribbean Region and on the other hand, the same development that the communities have been having, causing significant changes in the way of life of their residents, becoming evident in the construction of more comfortable and safer homes.
Cement has a predominance in the type of materials from which the floors of the houses where the interviews were conducted are built, having 90.56% cement floor. Table number 17. In the investigation carried out by CEUR in 1993 for PROGRESSIO, the percentage of cement floors was 73.0%, while 4.0% had a dirt floor according to the data obtained in this investigation. In the CEUR investigation carried out 12 years ago, the percentage of dirt floor was 23%. Palmarito continues to have a high proportion of dirt floor, despite being a community that has been progressively disappearing, today having about 9 homes. See table 17. Showing the levels of poverty in which its residents live, the main source of emigration that has manifested in the last 10 years.
The great difference in the percentage when comparing the 1993 CEUR research, with the one presented today, also influences the exclusion of the Loma de la Sal community, due to its disappearance as such; Back then, like Palmarito, it was a community with a high percentage of houses with dirt floors.
94% of the houses are roofed with zinc, Paso Bajito as a community maintains this same proportion, with a slight difference in the results of the CEUR research, but an increase in the use of this material in construction, the same community of La Palma and the community of El Arroyazo behaves in the same way.
An element that deserves to be highlighted is the use of fuel for cooking in the communities. In the community of Paso Bajito, firewood is used in almost the same proportion as propane gas, given the conditions of the forest cover in that area, its proximity to the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve and the number of residents, should cause concern. the use of firewood by its residents, since 61.0% use this resource for cooking. In a much smaller proportion, firewood is used by residents of La Palma, in this community 94.0% stated that they use propane gas to cook their food. While in El Arroyazo all respondents said they use propane gas to prepare food, and the community of Palmarito, although the two respondents said they only use firewood for fuel,It does not have a great impact due to the number of residents residing there.
Regarding the spatial division of the dwellings, they have the following distribution: 22.6% have two rooms; 26.0% have three rooms and 38.0% have more than four rooms. In this case, one of the spaces in which the house is divided must be understood as a room, be it a separate room, room or dining room.
5.2. Data on the State of Health
According to the information obtained by the respondents (table number 22), only in the community of Paso Bajito there is a rural clinic, where residents receive the first attention in case of illness. In the other communities there is no health center, so they have to go to nearby communities and the main cities of the region in search of health services.
58.0% of the respondents go to health centers located in the municipalities of Constanza and Bonao, to face the health problems that arise. While in the Paso Bajito community, 56.0% go to the community health center.
98.0% of those surveyed stated that they had suffered from influenza in the last six months; 40.0% of diarrhea; 9.4% of chickenpox and 4.0% of allergies.
5.3 Sources of Income
The main source of income for residents in the communities adjacent to the Green Ebony Reserve continues to be agriculture, 70: 0% of the respondents answered that the greatest amount of resources they obtain comes from agricultural activity. The second place is occupied by public employment with 15.0% of the respondents.
43.0% of the respondents answered that more than half of the income they receive comes from agriculture; 34.0% said they received less than half of their income from agricultural activity and 15.0% received half of their income from the farm. Table number 26.
Given the impossibility of paying for family expenses with the production obtained, residents in the peripheral communities of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve have to go to other complementary activities to respond to their needs. 73.58% resorted to credit to meet family commitments, and 32.0% said they had to complete household obligations by working for pay on other plots.
Observing table 28 on the main expenses incurred by the families of the communities studied, 100% answered that food is where most of the income they receive is spent; followed by health in order of importance, according to 88.67% of the respondents; continuing her studies and clothing with a percentage of respondents of 52.83%.
75.47% answered that more than half of their income has to be used for food consumption; 18.86% answered that they have half of their income for food and only 5.66% answered that they spend less than half of their income on food, table 29.
5.4. Agricultural production
Land tenure in the peripheral zone of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve has similar characteristics to that of the region where it is located. “In 70.0% of the communities in the area, the size of the plots varies from 10 to 50 tasks (0.62–3.1 ha). The average plot size varies in the case of small farms with 1 to 50 tasks (0.06–3.1 ha), and in the case of medium farms with 51-150 tasks (3.2 to 9.4 ha). Large farms with more than 150 tasks (9.4 ha) can be found in some communities. Most of the plots (68.0%) are not titled. Around 50.0% of producers do not have legal documents, and 18.0% sharecropping for lease or 'protected' use ”(Tejada, Peralta, Idbi).
84.90% of the respondents answered that they have land dedicated to agricultural production, while only 15.0% answered that they did not have land dedicated to agricultural production.
26.0% of the respondents stated that they have land ranging from 3 to 10 tasks, 36.0% from 11 to 30 tasks and 15.0% have a portion that ranges from 31 to 50 tasks.
According to the response of the respondents, the main crops grown by producers in the investigated communities are beans 32.0%, vegetables 32.0%, coffee 32.0% and flowers 28.0%. The form of production, associated with the topographic conditions of most of the land that is used for agriculture in the four communities, will determine the most appropriate irrigation systems to obtain optimum production yield, guaranteeing that the soils that allow it to continue producing in the limited spaces that the peasants have. Only 7.5% of the respondents use sprinkler irrigation in their crops and 3.7% answered that they use drip irrigation. While 88.67% of respondents have to wait for the rains to irrigate their fields.
The use of labor in agricultural production in the communities located in the peripheral zone of the Scientific Reserve of Green Ebony is very generalized, 75.47% answered that they use paid labor for agricultural production. The nationality of the labor used is both Dominican and Haitian, 67.92% stated that they use Dominican labor and 50.94% said that they use Haitian labor. According to the responses, it can be seen that both labor is used interchangeably by Dominicans and Haitians.
81.0 of the respondents use inputs for agricultural production, only 3.7% said they do not use inputs in production; while 15.0% did not answer the question. It should be noted that organic production has been promoted in this area, as a way of increasing quality and obtaining economic advantages in international markets. This does not mean that this is the case of those who did not answer the question.
For the preparation of land, the respondents stated that they used 58.49% to use a plow with oxen, 30.18 to use a tractor, for daily use the farmer continues to use the pick, shovel, machete and hoe as farming instruments. The topographic conditions of the area, where the largest amount of land where it is produced are on slopes, having a major impact on the equipment and instruments used in agricultural production.
One of the weak points that traditionally small and medium-sized national producers have had is the market, how they put products in the hands of consumers, bringing products to the market and breaking the intermediation chain, or achieving that through cooperatives or the State can deliver what is produced to the consumer. According to the results of the applied survey, the reality of the producers in the peripheral communities of the Ebony Green Scientific Reserve is as follows:
50.94% of those surveyed stated that they sold their products directly in the city market, 24.52% said that they sold it to the trucker who then took it to the market, 7.54% sold it to grocery stores in the community itself, and 9.43 % to a broker. If we add those who sell to the truck and the intermediary, for that matter it is the same, it would be 34.06% that sells to the intermediary.
Multiple actors intervene in the establishment of prices for agricultural products, 22.64% stated that the prices are set by the buyer; 28.30% say that he sets the prices as a producer; while 43.39% say that prices are agreed between him as producer and buyer and 11.32% say that prices put them on the market.
5.5 General Situation About the Community
Regarding the existence of community organizations in the surveyed communities, the results obtained are as follows: 75.47% stated that they knew of the existence of the farmers' association; 41.50 of those interviewed said that there was a youth association; 84.90% knew that in the community women were organized in mothers' centers; 56.60% are aware of the existence of a cooperative and 49.05% stated that they are aware of the existence of a neighborhood council.
This means that the communities located in the peripheral or buffer zone of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve have an organizational structure that integrates the different social sectors of civil society, facilitating the interaction process for the effective management of the protected area, since that these have organized interlocutors to generate integration processes for the conservation of the natural resources of the area and its surroundings.
5.6 Organizations that influence communities
The family is the fundamental nucleus in decision making. There are few formal institutions or traditional mechanisms at the community level to take actions collectively. Peasants have traditionally organized temporarily to protest or confront situations that threaten their way of life, despite the fact that since 1999 peasants in the area organized to be the recipients of the benefits of the Natural Resources Management Project of the Upper Yaque del Norte River Basin (PROCARYN) and therefore to work together for the development of their communities. The Catholic Church is traditionally the institution that has had the greatest impact on the lives of peasants in this entire mountainous area of the country.
The Organizational Diagnosis of the Upper Yaque del Norte River Basin concludes that "there is no significant organizational development in the communities (PROCARYN 1998)." In this diagnosis, it was found that local groups were characterized by authoritarian leadership, lack of participatory processes by members, lack of self-management capacity; Difficulty understanding non-traditional projects (welfare and paternalistic projects; lack of clear statutes and objectives; lack of systems to manage funds, and a high level of politicization of some groups) (Ibid). On the other hand, “the active presence of women's organizations in almost all communities is highlighted.
For the development of future initiatives, it must be borne in mind that, like the diversity of protected areas located in the central mountain range, it is important for conservation and development programs to understand that rural communities are not homogeneous and harmonious. Multiple interests and actors converge within them. Projects promoted by institutions or groups from outside stimulate political and economic processes at the local level that influence decision-making, about who or who will benefit from the project. These processes are carried out and are being promoted by actors with different interests and levels of power and influence in the communities.
In the peripheral communities to the reserve appear social hierarchies and even social divisions that cannot be unknown, according to the position they occupy in the established production relations; ranchers-laborer, agricultural producers-laborers; Regarding religion we find evangelicals and Catholics; on land tenure there are landless owners and peasants; migration there is the Haitian labor force and households that have relatives residing in the United States of America and those that do not; political parties with a great impact on people's daily lives; not to ignore gender, where women have become a dynamic entity in the development of communities.
It is undeniable that most of the associations have been affected by the weakening of the peasant movement of the 70s and 80s, associated with the loss of local leaders caused by migration. Despite this, there are groups with a real presence in the collective life of the community members, the Committee of Peasant Beneficiaries (COREBECA) deserves special mention, whose function is to guarantee that the resources destined for the protection of the natural resources of the upper basin of the Río Yaque from the north they are channeled towards the peasants. Similarly, the women's associations in the area deserve to be highlighted.
There are NGOs that have had a very significant incidence in the area, and should be involved in the conservation efforts of the reserve. Large organizations operating at the regional level include the following:
The beginning of the effective administration of the protected area implies a lot of work and a great challenge, so it is necessary to join efforts between the different sectors to achieve better protection and management of the reserve and the development of the communities located on its periphery.
The main environmental problems that affect the communities and that were identified by the respondents are the following, 32.07% said that the main problem that affects them in the communities is the contamination of water by the use of agrochemicals and the process to pulp the coffee during the harvest period; 24.52 identified deforestation and garbage as environmental problems affecting communities; while forest fires in the area were seen as a problem by 22.64% of respondents.
The solid wastes that are causing the greatest affectation to the waters of the La Palma and La discovered rivers are the discharge of the coffee pulp, contaminating the waters and limiting the use for irrigation of the intense agricultural production of the banks of both causes.
This contamination is a product of the process of pulping coffee on the banks of both rivers, without taking preventive measures to prevent the deposit of these residues without being previously treated, in the waters of both rivers, becoming the main problem, according to the actors. keys, during the harvest period.
One of the most important elements proposed by this socioeconomic update was to know the opinion of residents in peripheral communities regarding the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve and the work carried out by the PROGRESSIO Foundation in favor of the conservation of natural resources and improve the living conditions of those who live in the buffer zone.
According to the opinion of the respondents, the purposes of the protected area and the Foundation is to conserve the natural resources existing there, 74.47% said so. When talking about the conservation of natural resources, they were very punctual in identifying those resources and proclaiming that if it were not for that, the waters would be very scarce already in part of the area.
Regarding training, which is one of the functions that the PROGRESSIO Foundation has assumed, to enhance the conservation of existing natural resources and biodiversity, the opinion of the inhabitants in the surroundings of the Reserve is that it has not been very broad, since only 9.43% identified it as one of the functions of the Foundation. Only 3.77% considered that the activities carried out by the PROGRESSIO Foundation and the contributions of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve to residents in the area are seeking to improve their living conditions.
Despite the data presented above, we can affirm that the perception that residents have in the peripheral communities of the Ebony Green Scientific Reserve is very different from what existed 12 years ago, only 1.88% of those surveyed stated that the Reserva and the PROGRESSIO Foundation seek to harm the farmer.
* The conservation of natural resources for the communities was seen as follows:
Palmarito: protect ebony, waters, trees and birds
El Arroyazo: Protect the ebony and the waters
La Palma: Protect ebony, waters, trees and birds
Little Step: Protect the ebony, the waters, the trees and the birds.
6- C ONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 Conclusions
General demographic and socioeconomic aspects
- In the upper basin of the Río Yaque del Norte, six of the main protected areas of the country are located, forming the Spanish region of conservation and sustainable development with the highest water value, which some have called “Madre de las Aguas”. The Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve is located in this conglomerate of protected areas. Since the end of the 1990s, a change in land use has been taking place in this important region of the country, promoting incentives for forest plantations and intensive cultivation of vegetables, flowers and fruit trees, as well as the substitution of native coffee for caturra in full sun, with the latter more intensely in the area of La Palma and La discovered, producing an impact on the environment of the Reserve.The majority of the producers who are in the peripheral or buffer zone of the Reserve do not develop ecologically sustainable practices, such as soil conservation, integrated pest management, crop rotation and protection of water sources. The greatest threat to the flora and fauna of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve is the forest fires that periodically occur in its surroundings. Approximately two years ago a large fire occurred in the Las Neblinas Scientific Reserve that is adjacent to Ébano Verde, considerably affecting the ecosystem. 12 were identified (La Palma, Arroyo Prieto, El Arroyazo, Palmarito, Paso Bajito, La Sal; (not inhabited but with agriculture), Mata Puerco, El Faro, Guarey, Mata de Plátano, Mata Gorda,El Salto de Jimenoa) communities settled in the buffer zone of the protected area, of which five are considered as priorities: 1. El Arroyazo; 2. La Palma; 3. Palmarito; 4. Low Step; 5. El Salto Jimenoa: For the five priority communities it is estimated at 3900 people, with a ratio of 6 people per family, which allows establishing that in the investigated area it is estimated at 650 families; it is estimated that 60% of the population of the priority communities is between 1 to 25 years of age, which is why it is considered a society relatively.The families in the peripheral area of the Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve are mostly made up of an average of 2-6 people, being 75.0% in ages between 10 and 60 years,able to join the agricultural activities that take place in the peripheral communities of the reserve. 70.0% of families live mainly from agriculture, the remaining 30.0% obtain their income from public jobs, commerce, artisanal and daily wages.Haitian workers play an important role in the labor used in agricultural production, 50.94% said employing Haitian labor. The areas where Haitian labor is used the most is coffee and vegetable harvesting, as well as flower cutting in the La Palma area. There is a deficit in basic infrastructure and little access to health services, education, water, electricity and transportation. Rural roads are in very poor condition, especially in the rainy season, affecting the transport of products to markets and the connection between communities. The levels achieved in formal education in the area are very low. The heads of families hardly reach a primary academic level, very few have a secondary education. The illiteracy rate is 24.3%.The dropout of students from secondary education is high due to the pressure of having to carry out family work and the distances they have to travel to attend secondary school. Coffee production has been seen as the best alternative for production in the areas that adjoin the park. However, the expansion of these coffee farms is also one of the most important conflicts related to the integrity of the limits of the Reserve and also, due to the high use of agrochemicals, among other factors, with water pollution. They are concentrated in four main crops, beans, vegetables, coffee and flowers, items that have a high demand for agrochemicals and that, according to 81.0% of the respondents, stated that they applied these inputs.In the research area, the following main types of farms can be distinguished: Working homes without land, conuquera farms, (green beans, cassava, corn, patio birds), polyculture farms (coffee, vegetables, fruits), monoculture farm of coffee. The working households and farm farms have an orientation towards the subsistence of the family. The other farms have a business orientation towards sales towards the markets. In the entire Cordillera Central region, it has been identified that more than 89.0% of small and medium-sized peasant producers do not have title to their land, although they cultivate their plots, in most cases, for more than 20 years. of households in the surveyed area are below or at the rural poverty line. The economic and financial crisis of recent years has produced an increase in the costs of inputs and services used in production that range between 50.0% and 100%, which has implied a reduction in family income, aggravating their situation. The environmental problems identified by the heads of households and confirmed by the key informants are: deforestation, erosion, contamination by the use of pesticides and the inadequate management of liquid and solid waste. (CSR, 2005)
Psychosocial aspects
- The family: most of the families that live in El Arroyazo, La Palma, Palmarito and Paso Bajito, in the surroundings of the RCEV area, come from other parts of the country, Jarabacoa, La Vega, Janico and San José de las Matas are the origins main of the emigrants who populated these areas. Migrations happened two and even more than four decades ago, largely due to the logging activities carried out by sawmills established since the time of the dictator Trujillo. Thus, many families have been linked in one way or another to cutting trees as an income generating activity. The advanced age of the parents and the time residing there have generated strong roots in their communities. Very few families have plans to emigrate, although options are initiated among young people to leave the community.They are relatively large families (6 to 7 members). The children constitute a very young population, with migratory tendencies towards Constanza, Jarabacoa, Santiago and / or Santo Domingo, mainly for the purpose of study or non-physical work (agriculture). (Modifications of Melgar, M 2006, of CEUR 1993)Life conditions:Most families are poor. They reside in a modest single-family house with a pine wood wall or palm plank, a cement floor and a zinc roof, although in the last five years houses built from blocks have emerged, due to the strengthening of flower production and vegetable marketing.. With respect to the "1993 socioeconomic study", for the year 2005 there is a significant advance in food conditions, due to the increase in the commercialization of communities with urban centers such as Constanza, Jarabacoa, Bonao, Santiago and Santo Domingo. Counting today the priority communities with piped water (aqueduct), electricity, latrines and sanitary toilets. There are still deficiencies at the health level, since there are no medical clinics to attend at the emergency level,due to the patients being transferred to Constanza, Bonao, La Vega or Santiago. (Modifications of Melgar, M 2006, of CEUR 1993)Sources of income:Agricultural activity is the main source of income for the inhabitants of these communities. Most work in agriculture on their own farm or on the other (made day), this has not changed greatly since the CEUR study of 1993, although for the CSR of 2005 new income patterns were identified such as the commercialization through the leasing of trucks to transport agro-products and construction materials (river sand), nowadays they also carry out gardening, care and construction activities in the "cabins" of vacationers who have settled in the communities of La Palma, Arroyazo, The Discovered and Arroyo Prieto. Women are more related to “domestic activities”, but they have also dabbled in selling their labor to grow flowers, strawberries,in addition to moving to the community of La Cienaga where the “Pollo Cibao” plant was installed, where they go on a salaried basis. Despite new job options, many families still do not earn the minimum wage. Most of their income goes mostly to food, and they can barely cover other basic expenses. Although most of them own their home and more than half have a small piece of land to work with, most families have no other properties. (Modifications of Melgar, M 2006, of CEUR 1993)and they can barely cover other basic expenses. Although most of them own their home and more than half have a small piece of land to work with, most families have no other properties. (Modifications of Melgar, M 2006, of CEUR 1993)and they can barely cover other basic expenses. Although most of them own their home and more than half have a small piece of land to work with, most families have no other properties. (Modifications of Melgar, M 2006, of CEUR 1993)Land Use:The agricultural activity, with a labor-intensive character, is oriented to the production of flowers, vegetables, strawberries, beans, coffee, potatoes and food. There is knowledge (difficult to measure) about conventional agricultural and agro-ecological practices, strengthened by the extension actions developed by projects of the PROGRESSIO Foundation, PROCARYN, DED, CODOCAFE, SEA and other community organizations. In general, it can be said that there is an accelerated process of intensification of land use that puts pressure on natural resources. The social and economic pressures mentioned above are at the bottom of this process. Due to the actions of legal and regulatory coercion, environmental education and awareness programs and community workshops.Although clandestinely, hardwood continues to be extracted (mainly green ebony) and Creole pine. (Modifications of Melgar, M 2006, of CEUR 1993)Community support organizations: The existence of community organizations is very diverse when one community is compared to another. Communities have various platform organizations such as farmers 'associations, community associations, mothers' clubs, producer cooperatives, and youth clubs. They also have the support of external organizations such as: 1. PROGRESSIO Foundation; 2. PROCARYN; Cordillera Plan; SEA, Banco Agrícola, CODOCAFE, DED, among others.
Agricultural activity is undoubtedly the fundamental source of employment, both as owner and as worker in other farms, naturally it is perfectly known that this agricultural activity is carried out in the Buffer Zone, since no scientific activity is carried out within the Scientific Reserve. type of agricultural activity, considering the controls exercised by the PROGRESSIO Foundation, consistent with it.
Almost all the houses occupied by the inhabitants of these communities, between 91 and 93%, are their own and are mostly made of wood, zinc roofing and cement floors, although there are many made of cement blocks.
The perception of these communities of the objectives of the PROGRESSIO Foundation focuses on thinking that it avoids cutting the Green Ebony and creates awareness for conservation, and another very minor part thinks that it could improve the incomes of the communities and on very rare occasions they perceive that PROGRESSIO intends to evict them from their places.
There is a low presence of community organizations and much less associated with activities with the core zone of the Reserve.
6.2- Recommendations
- Technical assistance and training in plantation and forest, agroforestry, fruit and industrial management should be increased to the communities in the Reserve Buffer Zone. Also silvopastoral and organic agriculture to minimize contamination of water by pesticides and increase the profitability of producers.
- Carry out studies of the environmental impact caused by the expansion of the coffee plantations, in this same process make contact with the owners of these farms to inform them of the effects of their activities to the detriment of natural resources and integrate them into the conservation works of the Reservation.
- Take advantage of the preparation of the Management Plan to define the policy for the management of the Reserve's buffer zone, with the participation of community actors. It is necessary to define a strategy for the management of this area in which those who live in it obtain benefits that enable their integration to the protection of natural resources and the reserve itself.
- Prepare a permanent training plan on the importance of the protected area for the production and maintenance of water currents, free of contamination for the use and exploitation of the local population and downstream residents.
- Develop a training and education program for farmers on the use of lands located above where there are springs depending on their importance for water conservation.
7 . Bibliography
- Arias, Pedro Socioeconomic Study of the Las Neblinas Scientific Reserve, Secretary of State for the Environment and Natural Resources, Undersecretariat for Protected Areas and Biodiversity, CEDAF, Botanical Garden, 2005; Socio Economic Study of the Communities in the Surroundings of the Ébano Scientific Reserve Green: Loma de La Sal, Arroyazo, Las Palmas, Palmarito and Paso Bajito, CEUR, Santiago, 1993; ISA: Socioeconomic Study in the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River. Santiago, 1997; Melgar, M, Land Use Capacity Study of the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River and Municipality of Jarabacoa, GITEC-KfW, Dominican Republic, 2004; Melgar, M, Territorial Management Plan of the Basin Alta del Río Yaque del Norte Analysis Proposal at the Micro-watershed Level, GITEC-KfW, Dominican Republic 2004; National Statistics Office (ONE). 1992.National Population and Housing Census of the Dominican Republic. ONE, Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep.; PROCARYN: Rapid Socioeconomic Characterization Survey of the Rural Communities of the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River. Jarabacoa, 2004; Rosarioa, J.: Economy of the Peasant Units. Case Study in the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River. PROCARYN, Jarabacoa 1999; (Altrieth, B., Benoit, P., Franco, F.: Determination of the Production Costs of 11 Traditional Crops in the Upper Basin of Yaque del Norte. PROCARYN / GTZ, Jarabacoa, 2002);Case Study in the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River. PROCARYN, Jarabacoa 1999; (Altrieth, B., Benoit, P., Franco, F.: Determination of the Production Costs of 11 Traditional Crops in the Upper Basin of Yaque del Norte. PROCARYN / GTZ, Jarabacoa, 2002);Case Study in the Upper Basin of the Yaque del Norte River. PROCARYN, Jarabacoa 1999; (Altrieth, B., Benoit, P., Franco, F.: Determination of the Production Costs of 11 Traditional Crops in the Upper Basin of Yaque del Norte. PROCARYN / GTZ, Jarabacoa, 2002);
8. ANNEXES
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