Percepción de la gestión de los recursos hídricos con enfoque en la cuenca hidrográfica del río Arenillas.

Abstract

Abstract: This study analyzes water resource management in the Arenillas River basin, integrating citizen perceptions from the cantons of Arenillas, Huaquillas, and Santa Rosa with a multi-temporal territorial diagnosis. Through social characterization, a marked distrust in water quality was identified, reflected in dependence on external water consumption and the identification of wastewater and mining as the main threats. Furthermore, remote sensing analysis using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) revealed a worrying decline in forest cover in the face of accelerated expansion of the agricultural frontier. This dynamic demonstrates increasing pressure on natural sources and weak institutional control, factors that fuel water conflicts in the region. The findings underscore the urgency of updating the Development and Territorial Planning Plans (PDOTs) under a green infrastructure and participatory governance approach, ensuring the recovery of water recharge zones to guarantee the security of the resource for the population.