Modelo de gobernanza ambiental para la restauración de la laguna de Fúquene: una propuesta basada en el diagnóstico territorial y la participación multiactor

Abstract

Fúquene Lagoon is a strategic high-Andean ecosystem affected by productive pressures, wastewater discharges, waste accumulation, and vegetation loss. Although its management is regulated by several planning instruments and involves public authorities with differentiated responsibilities, difficulties persist in institutional coordination, monitoring, and social participation. This study aimed to design an environmental governance model that strengthens the inclusion and collaboration of actors involved in the sustainability of lagoon restoration and recovery initiatives. A mixed-methods, descriptive, and non-experimental approach with a qualitative emphasis was adopted. The methodology combined a documentary and regulatory review, two online surveys administered to a group of 85 participants selected through purposive and convenience criteria, and a digital social-mapping exercise involving 38 people. The results show that 91% rated the lagoon’s condition as poor or very poor, 59% perceived institutional coordination problems, 72% identified shortcomings in continuity and monitoring, and 74% considered participation spaces to be mainly informative and non-binding. The social-mapping exercise recorded concerns related to wastewater treatment, solid waste, and agricultural and livestock activities. Based on these findings, a model was developed to integrate institutional coordination, social participation, the allocation of responsibilities, and information for monitoring. Its implementation requires institutional validation, resource allocation, and evaluation through a pilot phase. The results represent the participants’ perceptions and cannot be statistically generalized to the entire basin population.