Water Flows in Vilcanota river basin (Cuzco, Peru): An approach to value from ecological economics

Abstract

In the last decade, the Vilcanota River sub-basin (Cusco, Peru) has shown high water vulnerability due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures typical of the economic model. In a context of pandemic and ecological crisis, addressing the complexity of the value of water becomes pertinent in order to overcome the exclusive use of mechanisms to calculate monetary value or sustain environmental governance based on cost-benefit analysis. The main objective of the study was to analyze water consumption rates in the Vilcanota River sub-basin to integrate management with a vision from ecological economics. To do this, the dynamic factors, impacts and responses of water governance were analyzed, and the problem of value was addressed through the analysis of hydrological flows with the ecological economy approach. A high consumption of the household sector was found (urban: 265151.71 m3/h, rural: 163087.50 m3/h), mainly due to urban expansion, change in land use and other local problems in a mainly agricultural area. where an analysis of the social metabolism in the Vilcanota River sub-basin and the inclusion of complexity management in environmental public policy is necessary.