Contributions of indigenous marine areas to human well-being of indigenous people of CARELMAPU, southern Chile

Abstract

Indigenous Marine Areas (ECMPO in Spanish) are the main institutional arrangement for the protection of the indigenous people's livelihoods and the promotion of marine sustainability of southern Chile. This article analyzes the contributions of ECMPO to the human well-being of indigenous communities. Through qualitative research conducted in the coastal town of. Carelmapu, Municipality of Maullín, Región de Los Lagos, we present potential human well-being indicators associated with the creation and implementation of ECMPO. The analysis shows that biodiversity conservation and the environmental quality of marine-coastal ecosystems promoted by ECMPO are essential components for the human well-being of indigenous communities, whose degradation might influence the capacity of the ecosystems to provide environmental services that sustain life in the locality.