Dinámicas y causas de la deforestación en la región amazónica de Colombia. El caso de estudio de Puerto Guzmán, Putumayo (2010 - 2020)

Abstract

This doctoral thesis analyzes deforestation in the municipality of Puerto Guzmán, located in the Amazon region of Colombia, a critical area within the "deforestation arc" where forest loss rates are the highest in the country. The main objective is to analyze the dynamics and causes of this deforestation in two complementary phases. The first adopts a cartographic approach using remote sensing tools and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Land cover mapping has been generated at a scale of 1:25,000 for the years 2010 and 2020, using supervised classification techniques with Random Forest and k-NN algorithms in Google Earth Engine and MiraMon, respectively, which has allowed a multi-temporal analysis of land cover change during this period and an assessment of fragmentation. The second phase characterizes the causes and agents of deforestation through a qualitative methodology that includes the review of bibliographic sources and the collection of primary data. A total of 25 semi-structured interviews and 30 surveys were conducted. The interviews were conducted to explore the insights of different actors involved in the study area on the causes and agents of deforestation, institutional support, education as a solution alternative and illicit crop substitution. The surveys were based on a methodology previously established in Colombia to characterize the causes and agents of deforestation. The two phases complement each other: the first shows the consequences of deforestation, while the second reveals the causes and agents responsible. The analysis of the results has been structured in two main blocks that correspond to the two phases. It is highlighted that forest cover experienced the most significant variation in the study area during the period from 2010 to 2020, with a decrease of 10.55% during these ten years. In terms of causes, secondary information emphasizes high multidimensional poverty as the main problem, while analysis of primary data suggests that efforts to halt deforestation are not yielding the expected results. This research seeks to shed light on the dynamics and causes of deforestation in the region and why strategies to oppose it have had limited success.

Date of Award	31 Oct 2023
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Anna Badia Perpinya (Director) & Meritxell Gisbert Traveria (Director)