Elaboración de un índice de calidad para el monitoreo de los ríos en Guatemala que apoyen programas de gestión ambiental

The seas of Latin America are very rich due to oceanographic conditions in which tropical currents mix with Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters. However, the pollution that drains rivers to the seas, the growing human settlements around the coast, overfishing, and growing agricultural activity limit the ecosystem benefits.

Although the sources of pollution are local in nature, they acquire transnational dimensions when they reach the seas and cross the borders because of the sea currents that transport material from one country to another, so the issue of contamination must be addressed by several countries as a whole. Most countries share coasts with shared ecosystems and resources, and the Central American region is no exception.

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America, with 17 million inhabitants. Agricultural activity in that area has been growing, mainly with single-crop farming that demands a large amount of water. High population densities and intensive agricultural land use have negative impacts on the environment. In addition, Guatemala does not have a water quality regulation that allows monitoring the quality of its rivers and their effect on the oceans that support environmental management programs

ITCR researchers have conducted monitoring throughout the country, evaluating water quality. A series of water quality indices (ICAs) have also been evaluated, and new ICAs have been developed. In addition, a series of physicochemical and microbiological quality indicators have been evaluated. Statistical methods have determined which quality indicators best assess water quality.

This experience developed in the past is important to share with other countries in order to establish links for regional collaboration that improve the quality of their rivers and, consequently, improve the quality of our regional marine waters, which have an important impact on economic issues related to tourism and fisheries, food security, and social and environmental aspects. The regulations used by each country must be the ones that best adapt to its own environmental conditions, and the indices used must be developed in accordance with the specific regulations of each country in the region. Therefore, the objective of the project is to develop an index of quality that is truthful in evaluating the quality of river waters and that contemplates the environmental reality of Guatemala

El objetivo del proyecto es elaborar un índice de calidad (ICA) de tipo fisicoquímico y microbiológico para el monitoreo de la calidad de los ríos de Guatemala que afectan la calidad de los mares de la zona Pacífica.