Índice de Sostenibilidad del Servicio de Conservación Ambiental de Ecosistemas Frágiles. Caso: Desierto Palmira

Abstract

The aim of the current research was to determine the sustainability index of the environmental conservation service of Palmira desert, based on aspects such as the environment, environmental sustainability, fragile ecosystems, ecosystem services, deserts, parish councils, territorial planning, development strategies and drinking water quality. Within the mentioned aspects, the Likert scale was used as the main tool in order to obtain data to be used as a guide for the qualification of the Environmental Index for Sustainable Tourism (IATS). In addition, applications such as; ThisPicture to identify the species of flora and fauna typical in the area, ARuler to determine the extension of protected areas. Regarding waste, it was necessary to carry out a weekly weighing of the waste collected during the visit of the tourists, this process was done during a month. Finally, the density of tourists and vehicles was measured through a review of the check in at the entrance of the desert. To calculate the environmental index of sustainable tourism, an arithmetic average was used based on the unit for each of the indicators, through which a rating of 3.28, equivalent to Moderate was obtained. It was concluded that Palmira desert is in moderate conditions for receiving tourists, but this qualification can be improved through strategies that can be used at the local, regional and national levels for the right conservation of the fragile ecosystem. In this way, it is appropriate to generate a sustainable management process for the fragile ecosystem by identifying its different levels of vulnerability and thus be able to act for its benefit. It is recommended to implement training by the Parish GAD with the help of people specialized in the care and maintenance of fragile ecosystems.