Estrategia de gestión ambiental basada en los servicios ecosistémicos del caño siete vueltas (Villavicencio, Colombia)

Abstract

Introduction: Ecosystem services (ES) represent the contribution of ecosystems to human well-being. Assessing the perception of communities about ES together with the application of Environmental Education (EE), allows solving the relationship of man with nature and with the protection of the environment. Objective. To build an environmental management strategy in the community of the Institución Educativa Catumare (IEC) in Villavicencio (Meta, Colombia), from their perception of ES and based on EE, in order to support the conservation of the Caño Siete Vueltas ecosystem. Materials and methods: Recognition trips were made from both, the studied area and the related population, and structured interviews were carried out to obtain a diagnosis of the perception of the ES. Training workshops were developed in which an environmental management strategy was developed that consisted of cleaning and awareness campaigns. The scope of the strategy was measured with structured interviews and the application of the Likert Scale. Results: Environmental contamination with solid waste affects Caño Siete Vueltas. There was a need for awareness regarding ES and the environmental problems of Caño Siete Vueltas. The interest, active participation and sense of belonging shown by the IEC community during the cleaning and awareness campaigns are highlighted. The most notorious result was the increase in the positive and beneficial perception of the different actors in the community about the ES of Caño Siete Vueltas after the environmental management strategy. Conclusion. This study can be used as a basis for undertaking projects from the IEC that contribute to the comprehensive management of ecosystem resources, but requires a permanent work and dedicated to the conservation of this body of water source that involves the competent authorities but, above all, the resident community.