Community Expansion and Infrastructure Development: Implications for Human Health and Environmental Quality in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador

Abstract

Este estudio investiga la comunidad de Puerto Villamil ubicada en la Isla Isabela del archipiélago de los Galápagos. Se examina el desarrollo urbano y las interacciones humanas-ambientales a través de una perspectiva de la ciencia de información geográfica que incluye: (1) la construcción de una serie de tiempo de fotografías aéreas e imagenes satélites, (2) el mapeo de la infraestructura de agua y alcantarillado actual dentro el contexto del crecimiento comunal, con especial referencia a las medidas de la calidad del agua dentro y adyacente a la comunidad; el uso de grupos de discusión y entrevistas a oficiales de salud y residentes sobre las enfermedades trasmitidas por el agua y un análisis de la proximidad de la comunidad y sus infraestructuras al ambiente circundante.

Water quality and antibiotic resistance at beaches of the Galápagos Islands

“…The findings of this study agree with the conclusion of Walsh et al (2010) that population growth on the Galápagos may be threatening not only the natural environment, but potentially public health on the Islands. This study is the first to examine the presence of antibiotic resistance in sewage and recreational water on the Galápagos Islands.…”

“…Sewage treatment systems on the islands are either not present, or are frequently dysfunctional or not in operation. This wastewater may pose a potential public health risk and may threaten the habitats which comprise the unique ecosystem that sustains the growing economy (Epler, 2007;Watkins and Cruz, 2007;Walsh et al, 2010). The Galápagos Islands have a residential population of about 30,000 and almost 200,000 tourists visit the islands each year (Epler, 2007;Galapagos National Park Service, 2010).…”

“…The Galápagos Islands have a residential population of about 30,000 and almost 200,000 tourists visit the islands each year (Epler, 2007;Galapagos National Park Service, 2010). The number of tourists visiting the islands is increasing, which drives population growth as more people from the mainland move to the Galápagos in hopes of working in the tourism sector (Walsh et al, 2010). Many of the tourists are attracted to the islands because they are marketed as pristine, and because they are home to a wide array of unique flora and fauna (deGroot, 1983;Walsh et al, 2010).…”

“…The lack of surface water quality monitoring in the Galápagos makes it difficult to understand the impacts of sewage on the environment and potential public health threats (Walsh et al, 2010). Additionally, the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the recreational waters of the Galápagos has never been examined, although it is known that tourists frequently travel with antibiotics, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that travelers to Galápagos pack antibiotics so they may treat diarrhea early if they start to get sick (Richter, 2003; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014).…”

Corrigendum to: A collaboratively derived environmental research agenda for Galápagos

“…Issues of land-use change, lack of services, insufficient public transport facilities, and alien species introductions, among others, are typical of human settlements, and Galápagos is no exception. In Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island, Walsh et al (2010) demonstrated how lack of adequate design and engineering in urban and rural planning has had implications for the health of residents as well as for the fauna and flora of the archipelago.…”