ABSTRACT
Resumen Por medio del presente artículo de investigación se pretende analizar desarrollo jurídico y democrático que ha representado, en los últimos años, para Colombia un mecanismo de participación ciudadana, como lo es la consulta popular, en las actividades mineras a través de las cuales se permite la exploración y explotación de los recursos naturales yacentes en el subsuelo. La investigación se desarrolló a partir del Método Cualitativo, aplicándose los métodos tradicionales de interpretación, que permitieron el análisis a los pronunciamientos realizados por la Corte Constitucional.
Abstract The purpose of this research article is to analyze the legal and democratic development that has represented, in recent years, for Colombia a mechanism of citizen participation, such as the popular consultation, in mining activities through which the exploration and exploitation of natural resources lying in the subsoil is allowed. The research was developed based on the Qualitative Method, by applying the traditional methods of interpretation, which allowed the analysis of the pronouncements made by the Constitutional Court.
ABSTRACT
Many researchers have tested whether protected areas save tropical forest, but generally focus on parks and reserves, management units that have internationally recognized standing and clear objectives. Buffer zones have received considerably less attention because of their ambiguous rules and often informal status. Although buffer zones are frequently dismissed as ineffective, they warrant attention given the need for landscape-level approaches to conservation and their prevalence around the world-in Peru, buffer zones cover >10 % of the country. This study examines the effectiveness of buffer zones in the Peruvian Amazon to (a) prevent deforestation and (b) limit the extent of mining concessions. We employ covariate matching to determine the impact of 13 buffer zones on deforestation and mining concessions from 2007 to 2012. Despite variation between sites, these 13 buffer zones have prevented ~320 km(2) of forest loss within their borders during the study period and ~1739 km(2) of mining concessions, an outcome associated with the special approval process for granting formal concessions in these areas. However, a closer look at the buffer zone around the Tambopata National Reserve reveals the difficulties of controlling illegal and informal activities. According to interviews with NGO employees, government officials, and community leaders, enforcement of conservation is limited by uncertain institutional responsibilities, inadequate budgets, and corruption, although formal and community-based efforts to block illicit mining are on the rise. Landscape-level conservation not only requires clear legal protocol for addressing large-scale, formal extractive activities, but there must also be strategies and coordination to combat illegal activities.