Evaluación de impactos ambientales generados por la actividad turísca en tres sitios de visita de la Laguna Colta.

Abstract

The Colta lagoon has presented several significant pollution problems due to poor control of both tourism activities and by the local population, causing a decrease of the tourism potential of the area and limiting local economic development; therefore, the following research work was proposed: "Evaluation of the environmental impacts generated by tourism activities in three visitor sites of the Colta lagoon, during the period August 2022 - August 2023, in the Colta Canton". The methodology used was qualitative and quantitative, observational, non-experimental, analytical, descriptive, synthetic and prospective, for which a structured sampling was applied, which guaranteed the independence of the sample by identifying three visitor sites within the tourist attraction. In addition, this methodology consists of three moments; one, a baseline was made to determine the current state of the geographic, environmental and tourist conditions of the study area; two, indicators were identified and biophysical attributes were monitored, where water quality is evaluated through the Water Quality Index (ICA) of León 1998; three, an adaptation of three methodologies (Leopold, Lázaro Lagos and RIAM) was made for the evaluation of environmental impacts and consequently to develop environmental management measures. As a result, it is evident that the water quality is heavily contaminated, restricting direct contact with the water. Tourist activities and the inhabitants have generated 7 impacts, of which 5 are negative and 2 are positive; therefore, 14 environmental management measures were developed. To sum up, Colta Lagoon should apply environmental management measures immediately because the water is heavily polluted and the visitor sites are deteriorating.