Evaluation of the change of land use in a relicted wetland of the peruvian coast

Abstract

The change of land use is an influential factor in the recovery and conservation of wetland relics. In this article, the spatio-temporal evolution of land uses was identified and quantified in a relict wetland on the Peruvian coast, belonging to the recovery zone of the Los Pantanos de Villa Ramsar site. Satellite images were processed every four years (period 2001-2021) through supervised classification in geographic information systems, recognizing land uses based on the density of vegetation cover, urban areas and bodies of water. The 2001-2021 variation rates show the progressive loss of dense and intermediate vegetation with -55.30% and -11.54% respectively. Likewise, it is possible to appreciate the growth of areas without vegetation and urban areas by 50.62% and 474.21% respectively. These results are related to the changes identified in the field, such as the introduction of grazing animals, the disposal of domestic effluents, the disposal and burning of municipal waste and the opening of communication routes. The last mentioned are the direct causes of the loss of vegetation cover and the increased probability of spreading diseases. It is concluded that the management of municipal waste collection points and access to water and sewage services are of vital importance to guarantee the conservation of the relict and to improve the quality of life of the surrounding population.