Contribution of Potters in the Socio-economic development of the Gondola district

Abstract

Human beings use numerous natural resources for their survival, much of what is used daily is the result of the production process, which causes adverse impacts. In the study area, this activity presents a series of problems, both environmental and product quality, namely the extraction and consumption of raw materials: clay, water, firewood, production waste, mainly defective products and gaseous emissions from burning. The choice of theme is based on the quest for sustainability of natural resources. The objective of the work is to generally analyze the contribution of potters to the local economy and in specific terms: to characterize the production process of potters and their local socio-economic contribution and to suggest mechanisms to be carried out by potters in the community. The materialization of this work was through the application of approach methods and procedures. Also, interviews were conducted with 09 interviewees, seven of whom were from the local community (potters and their families), the Councilor for Sanitation and the Environment of the Municipal Council of Gondola, a technician from SDAE-Gondola and from the Administrative Post of Inchope. From the observations and interviews carried out in the study area, some pottery practitioners do not opt for good practices in the activity, they do it in a non-regulated way as a way of increasing their family income, negatively affecting the environment. This pottery activity can, in a way, become a source of income at a local and even international level, and for that it is necessary that the community and other interested groups adopt sustainability alternatives.