Environmental Governance in the Andes

Cuenca is one of the three major cities in the ecuadorian Andes, and as in other cities, air pollution is a public health issue mainly related to particulate matter pollution from traffic. El Vado is a neighborhood in Cuenca that has been historically segregated despite its central location, and today is one of the most heavily polluted in the city, with a high stressed community due to the concomitance of air pollution, noise disruption, and limited economic opportunities. This neighborhood is aware of their health implications due air pollution, and started a fight against air pollution. In this essay we approach how air pollution becomes part of different local data infrastructures, and how it is governed and resisted in locally specific ways, be it formal policy processes, art and performance, or ecoscience education.