Baños de Agua Santa: ‘Resilient City’

Fotografía: http://www.ecuadoracolores.com/ed2014_nov/pages/nac19.html

This research project analyses the multidimensional effect of resilience in areas affected by natural disasters. It adopts complex adaptive systems and the heuristic model of panarchy as the theoretical foundation for identifying the critical factors of resilience and their dynamic behaviour within socio-ecological systems. Eight dimensions are identified, encompassing 56 criteria (factors), which are processed through a Fuzzy AHP discrete decision-making model. This approach produces a weighted structure that influences the development of dynamic learning capacity, self-organisation, and adaptability among populations or regions impacted by extreme natural events.

The model enables the establishment of adaptive governance processes through the design of a two-way qualitative matrix. The empirical application of this research is carried out in the city of Baños de Agua Santa (Ecuador), a community that, over 16 years of eruptive activity from the Tungurahua volcano, has demonstrated notably high levels of resilience.

A short documentary, “Ojos del Volcán”, illustrates the situation experienced in Baños de Agua Santa, from its evacuation to the return of its inhabitants.

Today, Baños de Agua Santa is one of the most visited places in Ecuador, attracting both national and international tourists.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

All data collected for this study were obtained with due regard for informed consent and in accordance with the ethical standards for research involving human participants currently in force in Ecuador. Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and based on clear prior information regarding the purpose of the research, the absence of foreseeable risks, and the confidential treatment of data. The study adhered to national ethical regulations governing minimal-risk, non-interventional social research. The blank version of the informed consent form used in this research is publicly available and can be accessed at the following link: INFORMED CONSENT