Vulnerability to contamination of the Trintara Waspam River Microbasin, Río Coco

Abstract

This research presents the results in the micro-basin of Trintara River, which is located in the Coco River Basin, Municipality of Waspam, RAAN, Nicaragua. The purpose was to analyze the vulnerability to water resources pollution and propose alternative management to reduce such contamination. The methodology describes the socioeconomic and biophysical characteristics, also the reports of the municipality. For the analysis of global vulnerability to pollution of the micro-basin, we used the methodology described by Watler (2008), which presents the vulnerability based on Wilches-Chaux criteria’s (1993). The results show that the global vulnerability to pollution of the micro-basin of Trintara River is 2.98 (61.78%), which is characterized as high. Social, educational, political-institutional and economic vulnerability are in the range of high with a rate above three, all of which are related to direct actions of the population. Instead, the physical and ecological vulnerability presents a moderate vulnerability assessment, with a rate less than three. The application of institutionalize management measures is recommended in the micro-basin with community accompaniment.