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Sustainable Development Challenges in the Ecuadorian Amazon: A Case Study of Land Use Affect and Landslide Risks Induced by a Hydropower Plant

Abstract:

Hydroelectric dams in the Upper Amazon contribute significantly to renewable energy generation. However, their construction can have negative impacts, such as altering ecosystems and displacing indigenous communities. In Ecuador, the Coca Codo Sinclair Power Plant (CHCCS) was built in 2016, but since 2020, landslides have been reported near the Coca River. This study aims to assess land use and land cover changes below the CHCCS using the Google Earth Engine platform to identify mass movements around the Coca River. This project was developed in three stages: 1) elaboration of cloud-free mosaics from Sentinel 2 satellite images, 2) classification of use and coverage of the scenario, and 3) analysis of mass movements around the Coca River. The results reveal three areas with the greatest soil alteration where the NDVI, NDSI and MNDWI indices provided to distinguish the different soil alterations.