Diseño de Estrategias para la Gestión Socioambiental del Recurso Hídrico en la Cuenca Alta del Río Aurra Municipio de Sopetrán, frente a los Impactos del Turismo sobre la Calidad del Agua en el Occidente Antioqueño

Abstract

The Aurra River basin is located in the department of Antioquia in Colombia, in the western subregion, with altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 2,200 meters above sea level in its upper reaches. It mainly covers the municipality of Sopetrán and falls under the jurisdiction of CORANTIOQUIA's Hevexicos Territorial Directorate. The Aurra River, a tributary of the Chico River—which flows into the Cauca River—is of great environmental importance due to its water resources and biodiversity. On the other hand, the growing anthropogenic pressures possibly derived from tourism and changes in land use, as the expansion of tourism and urbanization processes are generating significant pressure on the water resources of the study area. The objective of this research was to design management strategies to mitigate the impacts on water quality in the upper Aurra River basin in the municipality of Sopetrán. To this end, a mixed methodology was adopted that combined qualitative and quantitative tools from a technical and social perspective, including both population surveys and physicochemical and microbiological analyses of the water. The key findings reveal a duality in the community's perception and an alarming deterioration of water resources. On the one hand, 83% of respondents perceive a positive socioeconomic impact from tourism, while on the other, 78% rate the environmental impact as fair or very poor. This perception is confirmed by technical data: between 2021 and 2024, Escherichia coli levels increased from 25.75 to 60,200 NMP/100 ml, indicating severe fecal contamination. In addition, dissolved oxygen decreased from 7.38 to 5.61 mg/L, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased to 79.6 mg/L, indicating a high untreated organic load. In conclusion, the lack of adequate tourism planning and management of its impacts has 9 generated socio-environmental conflicts that negatively affect water access and quality, despite the economic benefits perceived by the community. However, th e strategies proposed in this research seek sustainable tourism development that balances economic growth with the conservation of aquatic ecosystems in the Aurra River basin in the municipality of Sopetrán. This thesis proposes a set of comprehensive strategies for water resource management in the municipality of Sopetrán, aimed at balancing environmental conservation with territorial development. These include educational strategies focused on environmental education, citizen training, and community awareness through School Environmental Projects (PRAE) and PROCEDA, with an emphasis on responsible water use and the protection of aquatic ecosystems; basic sanitation strategies, which seek to improve health conditions through the treatment of domestic waste, the installation of septic systems, and the expansion of public service coverage; and responsible tourism strategies, aimed at regulating tourism activity through good environmental practices and the promotion of a sustainable model that links tour operators and communities in the conservation of water resources.