Integrated Assessment of Water Resource Sustainability in the Upper Amojú River Basin, Northern Peruvian Andes

Suarez-Rivadeneira J.E.; Manayay F.A.; Musayón Diaz M.P.; Ruiz Camacho W.; Vega Calderón E.; Carranza Lizana D.O.; Bacalla Tenorio J.; Rojas Castillo J.A.; Carranza Montenegro D.; Bermilla Rodriguez E.B.; Roble Ruiz J.F. · OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences (2026) · DOI: 10.3844/ojbsci.2026.26.04.080

Resumen

This study presents a comprehensive, statistically robust assessment of water resource sustainability in the upper section of the Amojú River Basin, Province of Jaén northern Peruvian Andes, using the Sarandón multicirteria methodology. A stratified convenience sample of n = 887 households distributed across 22 localities was surveyed, achieving a margin of error of ±2.61% at the 95% confidence level (finite-population correction applied; N = 2391). Sustainability was assessed across social, environmental, and economic dimensions on a standardised ordinal scale (0–4). Statistical analyses included Shapiro Wilk normality tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests against the sustainability threshold (μ0 = 2.0), Spearman rank correlations, Kruskal Wallis tests, Cronbach’s α for internal consistency, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to provide empirical support for the indicator weighting structure. The General Sustainability Index (I = 2.32±0.52; median = 2) confirmed that the basin operates at the minimum threshold of sustainability, with 97.4% of respondents classified as sustainable. The Social (SI = 2.52±0.75), Environmental (EI = 2.18±0.39), and Economic (KI = 2.30±0.67) indices all met the threshold criterion (≥2.0). Wilcoxon tests identified three sub-indicators as significantly below the sustainability threshold (all p<0.001): Conservation Zones (mean = 0.59±0.78; 89.4% of respondents scored <2), Solid Waste Management (mean = 1.23±0.89; 68.3% scored <2), and Water Flow Perception (mean = 1.16±0.52; 90.9% scored <2). All three dimension indices were significantly intercorrelated (ρ = 0.271–0.388, p<0.001) and contributed significantly to the general index (ρ = 0.510–0.705, p<0.001). Kruskal Wallis tests confirmed that sub-indicators differed significantly within each dimension (H>971, p<0.001 for all). These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated watershed governance encompassing solid waste management programmes, biodiversity conservation zones, and equitable water tariff policies in Andean headwater basins.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo; Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas