Gold mining in Ecuador has been present in the country since Inca times; over the years interest in the mineral has increased, leading to the creation of legislation to control the mining sector in a safe manner. The Litoral region consists of seven provinces, six of which have registered gold concessions; the most affected provinces are El Oro and Esmeraldas. The objective of this study was to analyze the historical and current situation of artisanal and industrial gold mining in the Litoral region of Ecuador. Different methodologies were used for the elaboration of this study, including bibliographic review, grey literature, field interviews and a validation of expert judgment. The main results indicate that El Oro and Esmeraldas are essentially the most conflictive areas in the region, as they have sometimes had to establish precautionary measures due to the risks caused by illegal mining. In addition, in both areas there is a great socioeconomic impact ranging from lack of opportunities, forgetfulness, migration, emigration, and violation of rights, among others. With respect to environmental impacts, the study highlights the contamination of water sources (which leads to a lack of drinking water for people), and damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Finally, the study concludes that the authorities should control the mining sector more by implementing more laws and carrying out inspections to put an end to illegal gold mining, in order to improve the situation in the areas.

Chromium-based technique has been used over the decades and, up to now, is the most extended technology to produce leather around the world. However, the environmental problems related to its production, with special regard to the extremely high amounts of residual chromium in the soil and in the water, are reducing the use of leather, and it is becoming replaced with the use of synthetic materials. Consequently, the current leather production is becoming unsustainable due to the higher cost of treating the effluents derived from it. To eliminate the high consumption of this mineral, a Caesalpinia spinosa (Tara) tanning technique was developed and optimized on a semi-industrial scale. The reported results indicated that, being highly superior to the traditional methods, this was possible after an extensive Tara characterization, which reported, for example, (a) IRR reported strong vibration peaks in different positions, which suggested the presence of polyphenols as a principal component of the Tara powder. This assumption was confirmed by the tannic acid content, which reported values equal to 52.25 ± 1.74 mg/g of Tara powder. These results suggested that the Tara serves as a good tannin agent. This was proven by the mechanical characteristics of the leather produced by using Tara. For example, when 10% of Tara powder was applied to the formulation, the best results were obtained in all the mechanical characteristics of the leather. Thus, for the tensile strength, the average value was equal to 340.77 ± 4.78 N/mm². Moreover, the sustainability of the process was demonstrated by the good wastewater quality, which showed a null concentration of chromium hexavalent and total chromium. As expected, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased considerably, reaching values of 1461.00 mgO₂/L and 3150.30 mgO₂/L, respectively. Finally, the economic feasibility of the project was obtained through the cost/benefit and Internal Return Rate (IRR) analysis. The results reported a cost/benefit ratio equal to USD 1.03 and an IRR equal to 31%, thus the investment can be recovered after 5 years of execution of the project. This novel zero-chrome tanning process solves the long-standing environmental problems that have been linked to making leather and meets all the needs of today’s sustainable leather industry.

The main objective of this article is to describe the pollution in the main Loreto-Coca rivers using physicochemical parameters. Our analysis is focused on the Orellana province and examines the Suno, Napo, Coca, and Payamino rivers, which are adversely impacted by oil and mining activities. These activities result in toxic and chemical residues, such as heavy metals and other contaminants. Samples were collected following the INEN 2176 standard to do this. We could evaluate parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, nutrients (nitrates, phosphates), heavy metals, and COD using laboratory equipment and specific techniques and methods. The level of pollution was determined by comparing these results with permissible limits. Therefore, based on the comparative results obtained, environmental education is crucial for raising awareness about the importance of protecting and conserving water as a vital resource. Conducting these studies provides essential information for taking preventive and corrective measures and monitoring and addressing identified issues to safeguard public health and the environment. Keywords: pollution, water, rivers, sample, standard, physicochemical parameters.

This paper developed a documentary review of the elaboration and production of research works related to the study of the Integrated System of Financial Administration and Public Management in Latin America and was carried out to apply a bibliometric study of the main characteristics of 1277 publications registered in Scopus database during the period 2018-2023. The results yielded by such a database were organized in tables and figures, categorizing the information by variables such as Year of Publication, Country of Origin and Area of Knowledge which allowed to identify, through qualitative analysis, the position of different authors in front of the proposed thematic. The main findings of this research were that Brazil stood out for having the highest scientific production, leading the list with 640 publications. Likewise, the area of knowledge that made the greatest contribution to the construction of bibliographic material related to the study of the variables was business, management and accounting, with 634 published documents.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of the natural landscape as a strategic element in nature tourism management, in order to understand its conceptual evolution, analyze its relationship with tourism activities and explore the processes of valorization and stereotyping of landscapes in the context of sustainable tourism development. Method: The methodology adopted for the research includes an exhaustive bibliographic search in high-impact databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, complemented with a search in regional databases in Spanish such as Scielo and Redalyc. The selected documents were subjected to a process of critical reading and content analysis to extract key concepts, theories and findings relevant to the study. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that the concept of landscape has evolved from a purely aesthetic and visual perspective to a more holistic understanding that encompasses social, cultural and economic dimensions. The discussion highlights the close relationship between natural landscape and tourism, with landscape serving as a key resource and attraction for nature-based tourism activities. The processes of valorization and stereotyping of landscapes are also explored, emphasizing their influence on tourists' perceptions and destination choice. Research Implications: The findings of this study have implications for sustainable tourism planning and management, especially in areas with significant natural and cultural landscapes. The research emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach to landscape conceptualization and management, as well as the importance of considering landscape as a central element in the development of sustainable tourism products and experiences. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the relationship between natural landscape and nature tourism, bridging knowledge from diverse disciplines.