Monocultures in the Vinces river basin (Ecuador) and their relationship between the supply of water for irrigation

Abstract

The need to satisfy the food requirements of the Ecuadorian population added to the public policy of increasing the income of foreign exchange to maintain the economic model of the country through the export of agricultural products has increased the establishment of several monocultures in large areas of land, significantly increasing the use of water for irrigation of these crops. Thepresent worksor aimsto analyze the change in time and space of the use of agricultural land, the expansion of its border and the pressure on the water resource exerted by irrigation in the Vinces River basin in accordance with the water concessions granted by the governmental authority with competence in the basin. This research involved the collection of digital geoinformation, its subsequent processing in Geographic Information Systems, tabulation of official statistical information and verification in the field. The conceptual integration of Integrated Water Resources Management allows us to advance in the understanding of the complexity and difficulties to achieve a balance between the natural and social processes that affect us. The main agricultural coverageof the Vinces river basinrepresented by banana, cocoa and oil palm monocultures showed a remarkable and progressive temporo-spatial change (expansion of the cultivated area) and increase of the water pressure of the basin for irrigation in the long dry period. The historical concessions of water for irrigation extended in the Vinces river basinby theenvironmental authority do not reflect the true volume used by the agricultural sector in the summer stage, which is demonstrated by relating the volumes of water concessioned, the hectareas of crops planted and the real water requirements for the aforementioned crops. to achieve maximum productivity. Keywords: Agricultural products, Use of water, GIS, Irrigation, Vinces river basin