Compendio de Contenidos Esenciales sobre Agua y Saneamiento
Abstract
La Contextualización Curricular con enfoque de Sostenibilidad para Galápagos (CCSG) fue expedida el
30 de marzo de 2021 mediante Acuerdo Ministerial MINEDUC-MINEDUC-2021-00016-A, para todo el sistema
educativo nacional de las islas Galápagos y es de aplicación obligatoria en todas las instituciones educativas públicas, fiscomisionales y particulares de la provincia a partir del año lectivo 2021- 2022. El currículo de Galápagos alinea las destrezas de aprendizaje del currículo nacional a catorce temas y problemáticas de sostenibilidad para Galápagos, organizados en categorías transversales, sobre las
nociones generales de: economía, ambiente y sociedad, junto a una articulación de los 17 Objetivos de
Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de la ONU. El tema Agua y Saneamiento consta en el currículo como un subtema dentro del Eje “Interdependencia y Co-existencia armónica en la Naturaleza” y del tema esencial No. 7: “Agua, Saneamiento y Energía Renovable”. La implementación de la CCSG se realiza a través de un trabajo colaborativo entre docentes, estudiantes, organizaciones externas aliadas y el Ministerio de Educación en el marco de un modelo de gestión coordinado por la Fundación ECOS, a través del cual se brinda a los docentes información, capacitación y
materiales sobre cada uno de los temas de sostenibilidad, que son apoyados y/o facilitados por expertos locales e internacionales conocedores del tema. Para el tema Agua y Saneamiento, se contó con la asistencia técnica de la Universidad de Investigación de Tecnología Experimental Yachay (Universidad Yachay Tech), la Universidad San Francisco de Quito, la Fundación Un Cambio por la Vida y representantes de la sociedad civil, quienes en conjunto y luego de un trabajo coordinado y arduo desarrollaron el “Compendio de Contenidos Esenciales sobre Agua y
Saneamiento”, que constituye un documento de consulta que sistematiza la información más relevante sobre el tema y está dirigido a los docentes para diseñar actividades pedagógicas para todos los subniveles de educación.
Este recurso se suma a las demás herramientas educativas que se han elaborado sobre esta importante temática del currículo que tiene un gran impacto en la conservación y desarrollo sostenible de Galápagos.
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Las islas Galápagos representan un conjunto complejo y único de ecosistemas en que la fauna silvestre, las comunidades locales y la fauna urbana coexisten diariamente. Sin embargo, estas interacciones junto con la presencia de especies invasoras y enfermedades infecciosas, puede conllevar a riesgos en la salud tanto humana como animal. La presente monografía aborda el riesgo y la presencia de algunos de los patógenos y vectores más relevantes en las islas Galápagos desde la perspectiva de "una salud" que integra la salud humana, animal y ambiental. Se incluyen a las enfermedades "zoonóticas" que se transmiten desde animales a seres humanos, los principales patógenos que podrían amenazar a la fauna urbana, a especies silvestres emblemáticas como el lobo marino de Galápagos, y los principales agentes infecciosos que amenazan la salud de la población, describiendo las principales especies de mosquitos vectores en las islas y las enfermedades virales que pueden transmitir. Finalmente, se describen actividades de vinculación con la población local en forma de conferencias y grupos focales destinados a informar a la ciudadanía sobre estas enfermedades y su prevención, así como investigaciones de campo basadas en la toma de muestras de perros domésticos y la colocación de trampas de mosquitos con el objetivo de monitorear la salud y susceptibilidad de la fauna urbana y local a enfermedades parasitarias. Los resultados de estos proyectos pueden servir a las autoridades gubernamentales para la mejor toma de decisiones e implementar las medidas de prevención y control más adecuadas en referencia a estas enfermedades infecciosas.
Human activities contribute to the degradation of water quality on the Galapagos Islands, affecting human health and Galapagos’ fragile ecosystem. Despite the numerous resources vested in water management, programs have yet to achieve measurable improvements in water quality. To identify the governance mechanisms and barriers to improving water quality, we applied a two-pronged strategy: a collaborative, bottom-up compilation and prioritization of technical specialists and stakeholders’ concerns, and an evaluation of top-down government plans. The comparison of priorities and programs shows four major themes that require attention: barriers to better governance, community involvement, research, and policy. The islands lack a transparent method for accountability of the funds designated for water management, the efficacy of implementation, and results and progress beyond government periods. Government projects have included limited public participation, resulting in projects that do not meet stakeholder’s needs and concerns. Furthermore, the majority of the programs have not been completed within the timeline or budgets allocated. We recommend implementing a participatory governance mechanism that responds to each island’s context, balances socioecological and policy priorities and evaluates past projects to have adequate benchmarking, mitigating a planning fallacy. All programs should be accompanied by a transparent monitoring system that ensures accountability and evaluates water quality programs’ efficiency and effectiveness, according to goals and indicators developed collaboratively. This research may aid practitioners in small island developing states (SIDS) around the globe that are struggling with similar water management and governance issues and who may benefit from taking a bottom-up and top-down approach to assessing technical specialists’ and local stakeholders’ concerns in relation to past, present and future government programs.
Water quality in Galápagos has been deteriorating by increased human impacts over the past few decades. Water quality is a key environmental component and issue in need to be evaluated in the Pelican Bay Watershed, the biggest urban and economic development of Santa Cruz Island, for better management and regulation of water resources. This study assesses coastal and ground water bodies of Pelican Bay by employing a 9-year dataset obtained during a local water quality monitoring program conducted by the Galápagos National Park. Physical-chemical and microbial parameters were evaluated with respect to national and international water quality standards. A statistical integrated approach was performed to calculate environmental background levels of water quality parameters and to explore their seasonal and spatial variation. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of changes in tourism and residents in San Cruz Island in the degradation of water sources. Results highlighted are: (a) water is not suitable for drinking and domestic use at some inland sites; (b) saline water is used for irrigation in the highlands; (c) the presence of parameters of concern at coastal sites represent a risk for human and ecosystem health; (d) background levels may serve for defining site-specific limits to control water quality, and; (e) the influence of population change on water quality conditions varied at each site with a higher effect at coastal sites relatively to inland sites. This study provided valuable information of the water quality status in Santa Cruz Island and can serve as a baseline for effective water management and control of pollution.
With a growing population and limited freshwater resources, the hy- drogeology of the Galapagos Islands remains to a great extent un- known. Rainfall is relatively weak and unevenly distributed in space and time. The economical center of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Is- land, has only small intermittent streams, while several permanent streams are present on San Crist ́obal Island. In the frame of this study, an interdisciplinary approach is used to characterize the hy- drogeology of the archipelago.
A new method has been developed to enhance the interpretation of airborne electromagnetics surveys. With geostatistical interpolation techniques, this method allows the construction of a 3D grid of re- sistivity. SkyTEM surveys completed in Galapagos were processed with this technique, and confronted to surface analysis with remote sensing and field work. The first hydrogeological conceptual model is proposed for San Cristo ́bal Island.
Climatic conditions have been investigated with the installation of a monitoring network along the windward side of Santa Cruz Island. The occurrence of fog during six months of the year presents an addi- tional input in the water budget and increases groundwater recharge. This input has been quantified with a physically based canopy inter- ception model.
The basal aquifer of Santa Cruz Island has been investigated from the analysis of tidal signal propagation, hydraulic tests, as well as fault and fracture mapping. Results show that young basalts, densely fractured by cooling joints, are highly permeable. Because they are poorly connected, faults have a limited impact over regional ground- water flow.
Contrasting hydrogeological configurations in the Galapagos Islands are explained by an evolution pattern. In relatively young islands, such as Santa Cruz, basalts are fractured and permeable. Seawater intrusion is strong and freshwater rapidely flows to the ocean. On the opposite, conditions are more favorable for groundwater storage in older volcanic islands, where the regional permeability is smaller and valley incision leads to the existence of springs.
Electrocoagulation is a method that has a great ability on various wastewater and leachate treatment. It has a potential in removing various pollutants such as chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, ammonia, color, and suspended solid. The effectiveness of electrocoagulation method depends on several factors such as electrode, current density, operation time and pH. The aim of this paper is to review the relevant literature that publishes from 2000 to 2015 on the factor that influence Electrocoagulation (EC). The review describes, discussing and compare the factors that influence the EC process in various wastewater and leachate treatment.
Contaminated water represents one of the major health threats for the inhabitants of Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela, Galápagos. Water supply on this island depends on brackish groundwater as the main drinking water source. Historically, drinking water quality has been one of the main concerns of the population. This has encouraged the habit of using bottled water as a drinking source and even a cooking water source for most people. In July 2019, an observational pilot study was conducted, focused on analyses of survey data and physicochemical and microbial (total coliforms and Escherichia coli) water samples from 35 households spread across town and from the municipal desalination water treatment plant. Two samples were taken at each household, one from tap water and a second from the main drinking water source. In situ parameters such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity were recorded at each sampling point. Results show minimal treatment by the municipal desalination plant with testimonial evidence that current infrastructure is insufficient to meet the water demands of Puerto Villamil. All households had total coliforms confirmed in the tap or drinking water source (n = 35), indicating environmental contamination. Ten households exceeded national and international guidelines for E. coli coliforms in drinking water, but most tap and drinking water samples tested positive for E. coli at concentrations <10 MPN per 100 mL. Physicochemical measurements indicated high salinity, conductivity, and pH in tap water piped to households was similar to that of high levels of water at the treatment plant, although within international guidelines. This pilot study provides comparisons of the water environment on Isabela to that of other islands in the Galápagos and insights on future actions that authorities and inhabitants can take to improve water security.
While seawater desalination technologies can improve drinking water supply, they can also generate significant environmental externalities. A choice experiment was implemented to investigate household preferences for potential trade-offs between improved water services and environmental impacts from seawater desalination in the Galápagos Islands. Our results indicate that households are willing to pay for water quality improvements, and for protection of coastal ecosystems and marine organisms. In contrast, households seem indifferent regarding water availability and potential impacts on air quality. Our findings also suggest that respondents who consistently reject the proposed desalination project tend to be less affluent and have stronger environmental preferences than those who support it. It is concluded that stated-preference studies on improved water services should also elicit preferences for potential environmental effects of the proposed water technology.
Like many islands worldwide, Santa Cruz, the most populated of Ecuador's Galápagos Islands, has limited resources to provide safe drinking water to an increasing number of inhabitants and tourists. Currently, households receive brackish water at their tap, which is rationed to a few hours per day. Insufficient recovery of water supply costs is an impediment to improving water services. Against this backdrop, we implemented a contingent valuation survey to investigate whether households are willing to pay for improved water services. Using split-sample scenarios that allow for scope and part-whole tests, we elicited household preferences for three improvements: 1) uninterrupted water supply, 2) drinkable tap water, and 3) combining both. Our estimation results indicate that households are willing to pay for safe drinking water. Conversely, our willingness-to-pay estimates suggest that households are indifferent about improvements of service reliability unless water quality is improved as well. The median willingness to pay for concurrent improvements of system reliability and water quality is estimated at approximately $36/month, about 2.1% of average monthly household income. This study has policy implications as it demonstrates that households deem system reliability and water quality as complementary improvements.
