Valoración económica del recurso hídrico, en la subcuenca Jones, Sierra de las Minas, Guatemala
Environmental destruction is causing many problems around the earth. There exists a separation between economy -house management- and ecology -house knowledge- (Azqueta, 1994). The environmental service assessment is the solution for the market's failure in our societies, because the answer to the income problem must be found through environmentally friendly production. The goal within the Jones watershed is to identify incomes for the population without damaging the environmental. The forest cover has been reduced and it affects the amount of water during the summer, which affects the agricultural and livestock productivity and also puts at risk the human consumption (Brown et al, 1996). This study was carried out in Jones Watershed, within the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere, Guatemala. The aim of the proposal is to create scientific information regarding water value (monetary terms) through the estimation of payments for environmental services: i) Hydroelectric fee conditioned by the sedimentation process in the water storage and its associated costs (US S Ha-1), and ii) the estimation of water price (in cubic meters) using the opportunity cost (in terms of timber sale and extensive livestock) and protection cost of the forest (US S / m3). The analysis period was of twenty year because it was the time necessary for compute the land use change (from Pinus oocarpa to livestock, passing for sale timber). The study was conducted in two stages: collection and analysis of technical information and applied environmental techniques (cost of opportunity, protection cost and avoidance cost). In this way the techniques were adapted to the field conditions. A method has not yet been defined, because this type of investigation is new-it is a combination of many disciplines such as economy, forestry, hydrology, anthropology, geographic information to mention a few. The results showed the forest environmental service called quality water protection was valued at around US S 23.00 ha-1 in the hydroelectric case, and US S 0.01 per cubic meter for the service related to water regulation (like US 77 ha-1), the prices are very similar to other studies (i.e. Costa Rica). The Kyoto protocol signed recently (of which Guatemala is a participant) and the Government's Environment Affairs Ministry favor the emergence of an environmental service program. As a matter of fact, this information (the fees) is like basic contribution for the design of politics related with water management. The results can be used, but keeping in mind that they cannot be applied to other watersheds without the corresponding adjustment. It is the hope that the 21st century be remembered for the sustainable management of environmental resources, not as when it was destroyed.
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Language: | | 0 |
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Turrialba, Costa Rica Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE)
2001
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| Subjects: | ANALISIS DE COSTOS, ANALISIS ECONOMICO, CUENCAS HIDROGRAFICAS, GUATEMALA, RECURSOS HIDRICOS, |
| Online Access: | https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/10132 |
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