Desafíos de la gestión de áreas protegidas en espacios turísticos. Bahía de Samborombón (Buenos Aires. Argentina)

La Bahía de Samborombón (provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) constituye un área de interface entre el ámbito fluvial-marítimo (desembocadura del Río de la Plata en el Mar Argentino) y el terrestre. La franja litoral sur de la misma fue sistemáticamente marginada por los procesos de valorización que dominaron el territorio pampeano. Sin embargo, en los últimos 30 años se han constituido diferentes áreas protegidas, correspondientes a diversas jurisdicciones del sector público (nacional, provincial, municipal) y privado (ONGs). El objetivo de este trabajo apunta a poner de relieve las problemáticas generadas en torno a la valorización del territorio y la gestión de las mencionadas áreas protegidas, en el marco de las actividades económicas dominantes (ganadería, pesca y turismo)

Situación y perspectivas del desarrollo del Acceso Abierto en Argentina

Se presenta un panorama de la situación y perspectivas del movimiento de Acceso Abierto en Argentina, situándola en el contexto internacional mundial y de América Latina. Se describe el estado y la evolución de las dos principales vías del OA (dorada y verde) desde el análisis de las revistas y de los repositorios como principales canales de publicación y difusión de la literatura científica en acceso abierto. Se mencionan las principales medidas y políticas de apoyo e impulso al movimiento desde el ámbito gubernamental en la región latinoamericana, y en Argentina en particular. Se presentan resultados de estudios recientes sobre las prácticas de publicación y opiniones de investigadores argentinos en relación con el acceso abierto. Se concluye que las perspectivas de desarrollo del OA en Argentina tanto por la vía dorada como por la vía verde son favorables, aunque se advierten ventajas y limitaciones

Minería metalífera en el Noroeste argentino : Reconfiguraciones territoriales y conflictos

La expansión de la actividad minera en Argentina, especialmente la metalífera, ha suscitado importantes controversias. Por un lado, quiénes impulsan esta actividad hacen referencia al impacto favorable, a raíz de la llegada de inversiones extranjeras, impulso a las economías locales y la generación de puestos de trabajos que revitalicen las áreas más empobrecidas. En el otro extremo, quiénes repelen este tipo de proyectos, teniendo en cuenta la nueva modalidad de explotación -a cielo abierto-, sostienen que este modelo no sólo está fundado en intereses de las corporaciones transnacionales, sino que además no genera el desarrollo, sino que por el contrario conlleva al aniquilamiento de los pueblos. Manifestaciones populares a lo largo del todo el territorio argentino, así lo hacen saber. A raíz la relevancia que ha adquirido esta problemática, resulta imperante analizar los impactos devenidos de la actividad minera y las consecuencias sobre la población argentina.

Las condiciones de trabajo de los asalariados en la esquila patagónica argentina

En un contexto de globalización de los mercados productivos agropecuarios y de una actividad económica destinada a la exportación, este artículo propone analizar las condiciones del trabajo de los asalariados en la esquila de ovinos en Chubut y sus posibles modificaciones respecto de las características históricas. Desde fines del siglo XIX, la producción de lana ovina en Chubut fue de gran importancia económica y organizadora principal del mercado laboral de la zona. Partiendo de una revisión histórica del desarrollo de la actividad lanera, se considerarán tanto las regulaciones laborales, las políticas públicas y la presencia gremial, como las características y la dinámica propias de este mercado de trabajo, para comprender los cambios y continuidades en las condiciones laborales de los esquiladores. Este artículo surge de una investigación grupal e involucra información de diversas fuentes, obtenida principalmente mediante entrevistas, encuestas, observaciones en campo y otros registros realizados durante casi una década en torno a esta temática, en ésta y otras zonas del país

Actualización del conocimiento geográfico para el desarrollo económico-social del noroeste de Patagonia

Fil: Andrade, María Isabel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina.

Estimation of daily global solar radiation from measured temperatures at Cañada de Luque, Córdoba, Argentina

Solar radiation is the most important source of renewable energy in the planet; it's important to solar engineers, designers and architects, and it's also fundamental for efficiently determining irrigation water needs and potential yield of crops, among others. Complete and accurate solar radiation data at a specific region are indispensable. For locations where measured values are not available, several models have been developed to estimate solar radiation. The objective of this paper was to calibrate, validate and compare five representative models to predict global solar radiation, adjusting the empirical coefficients to increase the local applicability and to develop a linear model. All models were based on easily available meteorological variables, without sunshine hours as input, and were used to estimate the daily solar radiation at Cañada de Luque (Córdoba, Argentina). As validation, measured and estimated solar radiation data were analyzed using several statistic coefficients. The results showed that all the analyzed models were robust and accurate (R2 and RMSE values between 0.87 to 0.89 and 2.05 to 2.14, respectively), so global radiation can be estimated properly with easily available meteorological variables when only temperature data are available. Hargreaves-Samani, Allen and Bristow-Campbell models could be used with typical values to estimate solar radiation while Samani and Almorox models should be applied with calibrated coefficients. Although a new linear model presented the smallest R2 value (R2 = 0.87), it could be considered useful for its easy application. The daily global solar radiation values produced for these models can be used to estimate missing daily values, when only temperature data are available, and in hydrologic or agricultural applications.

Participación Directa y Aprendizaje de los Trabajadores en Mejoras Tecnológicas a Empresas Bajo Gestión Colectiva. Aplicación en Industrias Metalúrgicas de Venezuela y Argentina

La industria metalúrgica estatal venezolana ha vivido, desde sus inicios, procesos cíclicos de cambios y ajustes tecnológicos. Estos procesos no han sido objeto de sistematización que asegure el aprendizaje y apropiación del conocimiento. Este hecho, aún hoy, ha obstaculizado los procesos de apropiación y mejora de las tecnologías asociadas al sector. A partir del acompañamiento a iniciativas de participación de grupos de interés surgidos del seno de los trabajadores, se planteó esta investigación que tuvo como propósito la determinación de condiciones y relaciones para su participación directa en los procesos de mejora de las tecnologías existentes y el fortalecimiento del aprendizaje asociado. Se consideraron dos ámbitos Latinoamericanos donde hay manifestación de gestión colectiva y participación: Venezuela y Argentina. En el caso venezolano, el abordaje se realizó bajo la Investigación Acción Participativa (IAP), desarrollando la “investigación próxima”, como estrategia de acompañamiento, mediante “talleres de formación-investigación” y la sistematización de experiencias considerando la perspectiva y necesidades de los actores. En el caso argentino, el abordaje se realizó mediante visitas, entrevistas, reuniones y encuentros. Los talleres realizados en Venezuela, en un contexto de diálogo de saberes, facilitaron el surgimiento de herramientas prácticas para la sistematización de su propia experiencia (“Preguntas generadoras”, “Mi historia con la tecnología”, “Bitácora de aprendizaje”). El intercambio con los pares argentinos ha generado una red que plantea la posibilidad de construcción y nucleación conjunta de saberes y experiencia, tanto para los trabajadores como para los investigadores. Los casos estudiados referidos a las empresas recuperadas por los trabajadores (ERTs) argentinos evidencian un proceso de participación marcada por su autonomía en la gestión de la empresa, dadas las circunstancias que los llevó a asumirla para conservar sus puestos de trabajo. De estos casos emergieron categorías asociadas con elementos de gestión de un proceso técnico–tecnológico, como la participación en la planificación, concepción o diseño de la mejora. La participación en general está asociada al hecho asambleario, vinculado a las prácticas de toma de decisiones autogestionarias como expresión de una alta participación. La Asamblea, como máxima instancia de participación, y el Consejo de Administración son las formas de participación prevalecientes. En cuanto al aprendizaje, los trabajadores de las ERTs argentinas aportaron categorías de gran significación a los procesos de socialización del conocimiento: conocimiento colectivo y cooperación del conocimiento, rescate de los saberes y formación de trabajadores que tomen el relevo. Las categorías surgidas de las ERTs argentinas, los referentes teóricos y el interés de los trabajadores venezolanos fueron la base para la valoración tanto de su grado de participación en las mejoras a procesos tecnológicos emprendidas, como del aprendizaje asociado. Ésta valoración se realizó bajo una aproximación borrosa dado el carácter ambiguo de estas categorías que fueron trabajadas como conjuntos que se relacionan, más que como variables. Se encontró que la participación, se configura como un sub-conjunto del aprendizaje para contribuir a su fortalecimiento. Las condiciones y relaciones para fortalecer la participación en los asuntos tecnológicos surgieron a partir de la sistematización y síntesis de ambas experiencias (Venezuela y Argentina) conjugando una estructura que contempla la formación para la nucleación de colectivos de saberes (proyectos de mejora o innovaciones), las redes por afinidad, la sistematización de su propia experiencia técnica y los enlaces institucionales. Estos resultados dan cuenta de la integración de los intereses de las partes (trabajadores, investigadores, instituciones), mediante las estrategias de encuentro, de sistematización de los propios métodos y de conformación de los “colectivos de saberes”, la red de IAP en la industria (IAP Industrial) considerando la “deriva de la investigación”, bajo discursos práctico–teóricos propios, como posibilidad de posicionamiento de su participación en los asuntos tecnológicos de sus respectivas organizaciones, abriendo una oportunidad de ampliación de la experiencia en otros ámbitos y sectores. ABSTRACT Venezuelan's state owned steel industry has experienced since its earliest years, cycles of change and technological adjustments. These processes have not been systematized to ensure learning and knowledge in those organizations. This fact, even today, has hindered the processes of appropriation and improving the technologies associated with the sector. In order to support initiatives involving metalworker interest groups, this research was aimed at determining conditions and relations for their direct participation in process improvements to existing technologies and strengthening the associated learning. Two Latin American countries, Venezuela and Argentina, were considered on the base of their collective management and participation experiences. The Venezuelan approach was carried out under the Participatory Action Research (PAR) strategy, through the ‘proximal research’ as support strategy, by means of ‘workshops–research’ and systematization of experiences considering the perspective and needs of actors. Workshops were carried out in metallurgical enterprises from steel and aluminum at Guayana, Venezuela and its affiliates in the Central region. Those industries have been promoted collective management. The Argentine approach was carried out through visits, interviews, meetings and gatherings. The workshops held in Venezuela, in a dialogue of knowledge context, facilitated the emergence of tools for the systematization of their own experience (‘generating questions’, ‘My history with technology’, ‘Learning Log’). The relation with Argentine peers has generated a network that creates opportunities of knowledge and experience construction and its nucleation for both, workers and researchers. The cases studied relating to Argentine workers’ recuperated enterprises show a participatory process marked by autonomy in the management of the factory, given the circumstances that led them to take it in order to maintain their jobs. From these cases emerged categories associated with management aspects about technical-technology process, such as participation in planning, design or implementation of the improvement. Participation, in general, is associated with assemblies, joined to the practices of self-management decision-making as an expression of a high participation. The Cooperative General Assembly, as the highest instance of participation, and the Board of Directors are the prevalent forms of participation. In relation to learning, Argentine workers’ recuperated enterprises provided categories of great significance to the process of socialization of knowledge: collective knowledge and knowledge cooperation, recovery of knowledge and training workers for replacement. Based on categories arising from the Argentine experience, theoretical framework and the interest of the Venezuelan workers the assessment of both, their degree of participation on technical improvements and the associated technological learning were made considering a fuzzy approach, given the ambiguous nature of these categories that were worked as sets rather than variables. It was found that participation is configured as a subset of learning to contribute to its strengthening. The conditions and relations to strengthen participation in technology issues emerged from the systematization and synthesis of both experiences (Venezuela and Argentina) combining a structure which provides training for the nucleation of collectives of knowledge (improvement projects or innovations), affinity networks, systematization of their own expertise and institutional links. These results show the integration of the interests of stakeholders (workers, researchers, institutions) through strategies like meetings, systematization of their own methods, forming ‘collectives of technological knowledge’ and a participative action research network in this industry (Industrial PAR) considering the ‘research drift’, under their own practical-theoretical discourses positioned as a possibility of their participation in technological activities in their respective organizations, opening an opportunity for scaling to other areas and sectors.

Influence of Religious Institutions in the Creation and Implementation of Public Policy: The Case of Roman Catholic Argentina and Secular Uruguay

The strong presence of religious institutions in Latin America, especially the Roman Catholic Church, and their participation in the creation and implementation of public policy within a sovereign state can be counter-productive for the social development and progress of that specific country. Argentina and Uruguay and the social controversy of social issues of abortion and same-sex marriage are used as examples to establish the accuracy of the above statement. Historical, statistical, and legislative information about both topics in both countries show that the political power that the Roman Catholic Church has in the region is more an outdated influence than a reality, and the principle of secularization appears to be the most stabilizing philosophy for modern nations.

Cuál es el problema con el aire? : alerta especial para personas con asma y otros problemas respiratorios en el area metropolitana de Chicago, el noroeste de Indiana y el sudeste de Wisconsin.

Mode of access: Internet.

Volcanic setting of the Bajo de la Alumbrera porphyry Cu-Au deposit, Farallon Negro Volcanics, Northwest Argentina

The late Miocene Farallon Negro volcanics, comprising basaltic to rhyodacitic volcano-sedimentary rocks, host the Bajo de la Alumbrera porphyry copper-gold deposit in northwest Argentina. Early studies of the geology of the district have underpinned the general model for porphyry ore deposits where hydrothermal alteration and mineralization develop in and around porphyritic intrusions emplaced at shallow depths (2.5-3.5 km) into stratovolcanic assemblages. The Farallon Negro succession is dominated by thick sequences of volcano-sedimentary breccias, with lavas forming a minor component volumetrically. These volcaniclastic rocks conformably overlie crystalline basement-derived sedimentary rocks deposited in a developing foreland basin southeast of the Puna-Altiplano plateau. Within the Farallon Negro volcanics, volcanogenic accumulations evolved from early mafic to intermediate and silicic compositions. The younger and more silicic rocks are demonstrably coeval and comagmatic with the earliest group of mineralized porphyritic intrusions at Bajo de la Alumbrera. Our analysis of the volcanic stratigraphy and facies architecture of the Farallon Negro volcanics indicates that volcanic eruptions evolved from effusive to mixed effusive and explosive styles, as magma compositions changed to more intermediate and silicic compositions. Air early phase of mafic to intermediate voleanism was characterized by small synsedimentary intrusions with peperitic contacts, and lesser lava units scattered widely throughout the district, and interbedded with thick and extensive successions of coarse-grained sedimentary breccias. These sedimentary breccias formed from numerous debris- and hyperconcentrated flow events. A later phase of silicic volcanism included both effusive eruptions, forming several areally restricted lavas, and explosive eruptions, producing more widely dispersed (up to 5 kin) tuff units, some tip to 30-m thickness in proximal sections. Four key features of the volcanic stratigraphy suggest that the Farallon Negro volcanics need not simply record the construction of a large steep-sided polygenetic stratovolcano: (1) sheetlike, laterally continuous debris-flow and other coarse-grained sedimentary deposits are dominant, particularly in the lower sections; (2) mafic-intermediate composition lavas are volumetrically minor; (3) peperites are present throughout the sequence; and (4) fine-grained lacustrine sandstone-siltstone sequences occur in areas previously thought to be proximal to the summit region of the stratovolcano. Instead, the nature, distribution, and geometry of volcanic and volcaniclastic facies suggest that volcanism occurred as a relatively low relief, multiple-vent volcanic complex at the eastern edge of a broad, > 200-km-wide late Miocene volcanic belt and oil ail active foreland sedimentary basin to the Puna-Altiplano. Volcanism that occurred synchronously with the earliest stages of porphyry-related mineralization at Bajo de la Alumbrera apparently developed in an alluvial to ring plain setting that was distal to larger volcanic edifices.

Fiscal decentralization and development: An analysis of city governments in Argentina and Mexico, 1980--2010

This dissertation examines local governments' efforts to promote economic development in Latin America. The research uses a mixed method to explore how cities make decisions to innovate, develop, and finance economic development programs. First, this study provides a comparative analysis of decentralization policies in Argentina and Mexico as a means to gain a better understanding of the degree of autonomy exercised by local governments. Then, it analyzes three local governments each within the province of Santa Fe, Argentina and the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. The principal hypothesis of this dissertation is that if local governments collect more own-source tax revenue, they are more likely to promote economic development and thus, in turn, promote growth for their region. ^ By examining six cities, three of which are in Santa Fe—Rosario, Santa Fe (capital) and Rafaela—and three in Guanajuato—Leon, Guanajuato (capital) and San Miguel de Allende, this dissertation provides a better understanding of public finances and tax collection efforts of local governments in Latin America. Specific attention is paid to each city's budget authority to raise new revenue and efforts to promote economic development. The research also includes a large statistical dataset of Mexico's 2,454 municipalities and a regression analysis that evaluates local tax efforts on economic growth, controlling for population, territorial size, and the professional development. In order to generalize these results, the research tests these discoveries by using statistical data gathered from a survey administered to Latin American municipal officials. ^ The dissertation demonstrates that cities, which experience greater fiscal autonomy measured by the collection of more own-source revenue, are better able to stimulate effective economic development programs, and ultimately, create jobs within their communities. The results are bolstered by a large number of interviews, which were conducted with over 100 finance specialists, municipal presidents, and local authorities. The dissertation also includes an in-depth literature review on fiscal federalism, decentralization, debt financing and local development. It concludes with a discussion of the findings of the study and applications for the practice of public administration.^

The Current State of Argentina's Oil Industry

An oil wealthy country, Argentina has repeatedly tried and failed to capitalize on its potential. The unfortunate energy policies of subsequent Argentinean government and a lack of investment capital have been two of the main reasons that have significantly limited the production of export oil in the recent past. Yet, with recent discoveries and changes to the country’s hydrocarbon laws, there may be a new dawn for Argentina’s oil industry. Since 1999 when Argentina’s oil production peaked at approximately 800,000 barrels per day, there has been a 24 percent decrease in its oil output. The country’s oil reserves have also been in steady decline. Yet, the recently enacted reforms by Argentina’s government to incentivize foreign investment in the oil industry seem to be working, allowing investors to negotiate the terms of exploration directly with local governments. As a result, foreign investment is increasing, as well as new willingness to finance exploration of untapped reserves. Also, the discovery of shale oil in Argentina may provide the potential to become a key exporter in the region. Nonetheless, there are challenges that need to be overcome and it may be years before the various oil projects underway become profitable. The success of current oil projects, coupled with the potential of shale oil, new discoveries and the sustainability of the current energy policy reforms will likely determine if Argentina is finally able to fulfill its potential and exert itself as an oil exporter country in Latin America.

China's Relations with Brazil and Argentina and Implications for U.S. Security Concerns [Student's Paper Series]

This study on China’s relations with Brazil and Argentina, as well as its implications for U.S. concerns examines two main questions: Why China’s increasing influence on Brazil and Argentina may be considered a cause for U.S. security concerns? And if this is the case, how do China’s strategic alliances with the two countries has impacted U.S. leadership? In an effort to look at China’s influence from multidimensional angles and beyond China’s visible economic influence in these two countries, this paper argues that China’s interest in the Latin American region, with a focus on brazil and Argentina, responds to a more crafted, pragmatic and tailored vision with long-term strategic and political goals. The results of this study reveal that China – avoiding intra-regional competition through a strategic diversification of sectors – has been able to secure critical resources for its population as well as promote enduring alliances in the region that could represent a plausible cause of concern for U.S. interests. In this regard, China’s avoidance of a direct challenge to traditional partners’ influence has responded to the gaps left by a gradual, but steady lack of U.S. involvement.