SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE IN SOUTHERN ECUADOR

MOUNTAINS ARE AMONG THE MOST SENSITIVE AND VULNERABLE REGIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE. CHANGES IN THE MAGNITUDE AND DISTRIBUTION OF PRECIPITATION ALREADY AFFECTS THE RAINFALL-RUNOFF PROCESSES IN THE ANDEAN MOUNTAIN REGION. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND GUIDELINES THAT WILL SECURE THE WATER AVAILABILITY FOR THE PERIOD 2025-2050 IN THE SOUTHERN ANDES OF ECUADOR GIVEN THE EXPECTED CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCREASE IN WATER DEMAND BY THE DIFFERENT USERS. STARTING WITH A PROGNOSIS OF THE EVOLUTION IN WATER DEMAND AND SUPPLY UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS, SCENARIOS OF INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, CONSIDERING SOCIO-ECONOMIC, STAKEHOLDERS, GOVERNMENTAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND EVALUATED ON A MAJOR WATER BASIN OF CUENCA. IN PARALLEL, THE PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL INTERUNIVERSITY DOCTORAL AND MASTER PROGRAMMES IN RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES, AND BUILD CAPACITIES OF LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS.