Gestión integrada de recursos hídricos Caso: cambios en la cubierta vegetal en los páramos de Mulaló, Cotopaxi (2020 2024)

Abstract

Abstract: This study evaluates changes in vegetation cover in the páramos of the Mulaló parish, located in the Latacunga canton, Cotopaxi province, during the period 2020 2024, and analyzes their impact on integrated water resources management. A methodology based on multitemporal analysis of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery was used. The images were processed in QGIS using both unsupervised and supervised classification techniques, refined with NDVI and NDWI spectral indices. The results reveal a significant variation in vegetation cover, with a trend toward increased disturbed areas, mainly due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier and other anthropogenic pressures. In response, differentiated restoration and conservation strategies were developed, structured by altitudinal zones and an Andean transition zone, through threat-strategy diagrams. This study provides key technical information for territorial decision-making and proposes a replicable methodology for monitoring strategic ecosystems such as the páramos.