Approaching water management at watershed scale using distributed water balances in the Yanuncay River basins (Ecuador)

Abstract

In this study, the excess water generated during a 10-year period (1998–2008) in the upper and middle Yanuncay River basins is estimated. The distributed water balance method, which analyses the interaction between all the different parameters that form part of the water cycle in nature, was developed. To create the model, basic parameters such as rainfall, temperature, soil type and surface cover are required. Moreover, by using computer software such as Microsoft Office Excel and geographic information systems, it is possible to obtain monthly data showing the water excess and generate thematic maps which allow for an effective monitoring of the behaviour of the middle and upper Yanuncay River basins. This study takes the spatial variability of the various factors that influence the behaviour of a basin into account. This allows determining zones with greater water excess, which are areas that would need to be protected. The model can easily incorporate new data such as land use and surface cover (based on time frames) which would facilitate the comparison of different scenarios.