Desarrollo territorial y ajuste espacial: La difícil relación entre políticas públicas y planificación 'privada' en el norte de Santa Cruz

Abstract

Southern Patagonia represents a peripheral territory with recent settlement, low population density, in which most of economy, offered services and population reproductive conditions are based in a few natural resources, highly concentrated in certain regions of the territory. In recent years, these natural resources have been exposed to an increasing pressure of use, mainly due to inappropriate management policies. mining, as an example, represents an activity in expansion. even though actual exploitations have (declared) reserves for a maximum of 10 more years, several recent explorations might reveal the future growth of this sector. The main line of argumentation followed in the present article is based in results and discussions derived from academic investigation projects focused in territories and policies particularly associated with land management and land development fields. In first place, land development approach and territorial projects are discussed as well as their relationships with public policies in the context of world scenarios based in conflicts for its natural resources. In second place, strategies of dominant social and economic groups are described, with special emphasis in Pan american energy. also, the role of State and local societies in the study area are analyzed, as well as their relationships between them at different territorial scales. Finally, alternative land development scenarios and possible solutions to conflictive relationships between local actors are analyzed in Golfo San Jorge region, in northern Santa Cruz territories.