CLUE-S model based on GIS applied to management strategies of territory with oil wells—Case study: Santa Elena, Ecuador

Some cities worldwide have oil wells directly affecting the management of the territory. For example, La Libertad and Salinas districts contain 467 oil wells in urban areas representing a major land-use planning challenge. The objective is to apply the CLUE-S land use model in coastal cities with oil wells (Salinas-La Libertad), using geographic information systems considering environmental and security characteristics for territorial development. The stages of the study are: i) classification and categorisation of oil wells; ii) application of the GIS-CLUE-S method and visualisation of land use dynamics; iii) use the SWOT-TOWS matrix, for the analysis of the situation and the main factors affecting the territory. The results indicate high vulnerability in many urban sectors and those close to the coastline. Furthermore, the CLUE-S analysis shows that the population growth in the urban sector is close to oil well areas, making it a complex pole of human-industry interaction that impacts the management of the territory. This study synthesises three technical aspects: some oil wells do not comply with municipal ordinance regulations; identification of vulnerable zones due to environmental and security factors, which recommends a territorial reordering policy; as well as an education plan for the application of territorial ordering policies, with awareness and sustainability projections.