Estimación de la huella hídrica en tres plantaciones de palma aceitera Elaeis guineensis Jacq. en los distritos de Palmar, Sierpe y Piedras Blancas, para el período 2013-2016
Fecha
2019
Autores
Mora Delgado, Ericka
Santamaría Badilla, Silvia
Solano Villalobos, Rosibel
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ISSN de la revista
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Editor
Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
Resumen
En la Zona Sur de Costa Rica una de las principales actividades económicas que
se lleva a cabo es el cultivo de palma aceitera (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), sin
embargo su desarrollo se ha visto condicionado por retos para alcanzar un
equilibrio entre los beneficios económicos e impactos ambientales en el sitio. En
este estudio se calculó la Huella Hídrica en tres fincas del cantón de Osa con el
fin de aportar un sustento técnico que evidencie la situación del recurso hídrico
respecto a dicha actividad.
Para alcanzar una mejor comprensión de la interacción de este cultivo con la
dinámica del sitio se realizó un diagnóstico socioambiental, el cual consistió en la
recopilación de información sobre aspectos del lugar y su población. De esta
forma se logró evidenciar que la actividad económica de la región es dependiente
del monocultivo y que al tomar decisiones relevantes relacionadas al mismo, se
incide en la economía de esta población.
La huella hídrica clásica y extendida, fueron calculadas a partir de los
procedimientos establecidos por la Red de Huella Hídrica. El componente de
huella hídrica verde permitió determinar que la finca ubicada en el distrito de
Piedras Blancas es la que tiene mayor consumo, en promedio de 182,72 m3 t-1.
En relación al componente gris de la huella hídrica se logró evidenciar una
sobredosificación en las aplicaciones de fertilizantes y herbicidas en la finca
localizada en Palmar, donde se aplica un excedente respecto a la dosis
recomendada sin generar mayores rendimientos en la producción, de este modo
la huella hídrica gris de esta finca constituyó la mayor de las tres con 265,42 m3 t-
1. Es así como se identificó la necesidad de tomar las acciones necesarias para la
optimización del manejo del cultivo de manera que se alcancen rendimientos más
altos con menor consumo de agua y que se genere un menor impacto por el uso
de productos en los cultivos.
Para la huella hídrica extendida la cual corresponde a un indicador económico, se
utilizó la productividad aparente del agua verde y la productividad aparente de la
tierra, con la primera se determinó el valor de producción económica por unidad
de agua consumida (₡ m-3), obteniendo resultados superiores al promedio
mundial (115,33 ₡ m-3), para las tres fincas los mejores rendimientos económicos corresponden al año 2013, después de este periodo la misma disminuyó, en
general se mantuvo mayor a 249,79 ₡ m-3. Finalmente con la productividad
aparente de la tierra, se obtuvo el valor económico por área de palma cultivada,
teniendo como resultado una mayor productividad para la finca en Sierpe con
valores entre los 1 005,30 ₡ m-3 y 473,82 ₡ m-3, lo anterior a pesar de que
corresponde a la plantación más afectadas por enfermedades, contrarrestado con
un manejo más eficiente del cultivo. Por tanto el desarrollo de este proyecto
permitió generar conocimiento sobre la situación actual del cultivo de palma, la
cual está ligada a las limitaciones económicas y sociales que enfrenta la
población de la región, lo que ha provocado un deterioro de los recursos naturales
en una zona con gran riqueza de fuentes hídricas y extensas áreas boscosas de
alto valor ecosistémico.
In the South Zone of Costa Rica, one of the main economic activities that is carried out is the cultivation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), without However, its development has been conditioned by challenges to achieve a balance between economic benefits and environmental impacts on the site. In This study calculated the Water Footprint in three farms in the Osa canton with the in order to provide technical support that demonstrates the situation of the water resource regarding said activity. To achieve a better understanding of the interaction of this crop with the dynamics of the site, a socio-environmental diagnosis was carried out, which consisted of the compilation of information on aspects of the place and its population. This form it was possible to show that the economic activity of the region is dependent monoculture and that when making relevant decisions related to it, affects the economy of this population. The classical and extended water footprint were calculated from the procedures established by the Water Footprint Network. The component of green water footprint allowed to determine that the farm located in the district of Piedras Blancas is the one with the highest consumption, an average of 182.72 m3 t-1. In relation to the gray component of the water footprint, a overdose in fertilizer and herbicide applications on the farm located in Palmar, where a surplus is applied with respect to the dose recommended without generating higher yields in production, thus the gray water footprint of this farm was the largest of the three with 265.42 m3 t- one. This is how the need to take the necessary actions for the optimization of crop management so that higher yields are achieved high with less water consumption and that a lower impact is generated by the use of products in crops. For the extended water footprint which corresponds to an economic indicator, used the apparent productivity of green water and the apparent productivity of the land, with the first the economic production value per unit was determined of water consumed (₡ m-3), obtaining results above the average worldwide (115.33 ₡ m-3), for the three farms the best economic returns correspond to the year 2013, after this period it decreased, in Overall, it remained higher than ₡ 249.79 m-3. Finally with productivity apparent of the land, the economic value was obtained per area of cultivated palm, resulting in higher productivity for the farm in Sierpe with values between 1,005.30 ₡ m-3 and 473.82 ₡ m-3, the above despite the fact that corresponds to the plantation most affected by diseases, counteracted with more efficient crop management. Therefore the development of this project allowed to generate knowledge about the current situation of palm cultivation, the which is linked to the economic and social limitations faced by the population of the region, which has caused a deterioration of natural resources in an area with great wealth of water sources and extensive wooded areas of high ecosystem value.
In the South Zone of Costa Rica, one of the main economic activities that is carried out is the cultivation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), without However, its development has been conditioned by challenges to achieve a balance between economic benefits and environmental impacts on the site. In This study calculated the Water Footprint in three farms in the Osa canton with the in order to provide technical support that demonstrates the situation of the water resource regarding said activity. To achieve a better understanding of the interaction of this crop with the dynamics of the site, a socio-environmental diagnosis was carried out, which consisted of the compilation of information on aspects of the place and its population. This form it was possible to show that the economic activity of the region is dependent monoculture and that when making relevant decisions related to it, affects the economy of this population. The classical and extended water footprint were calculated from the procedures established by the Water Footprint Network. The component of green water footprint allowed to determine that the farm located in the district of Piedras Blancas is the one with the highest consumption, an average of 182.72 m3 t-1. In relation to the gray component of the water footprint, a overdose in fertilizer and herbicide applications on the farm located in Palmar, where a surplus is applied with respect to the dose recommended without generating higher yields in production, thus the gray water footprint of this farm was the largest of the three with 265.42 m3 t- one. This is how the need to take the necessary actions for the optimization of crop management so that higher yields are achieved high with less water consumption and that a lower impact is generated by the use of products in crops. For the extended water footprint which corresponds to an economic indicator, used the apparent productivity of green water and the apparent productivity of the land, with the first the economic production value per unit was determined of water consumed (₡ m-3), obtaining results above the average worldwide (115.33 ₡ m-3), for the three farms the best economic returns correspond to the year 2013, after this period it decreased, in Overall, it remained higher than ₡ 249.79 m-3. Finally with productivity apparent of the land, the economic value was obtained per area of cultivated palm, resulting in higher productivity for the farm in Sierpe with values between 1,005.30 ₡ m-3 and 473.82 ₡ m-3, the above despite the fact that corresponds to the plantation most affected by diseases, counteracted with more efficient crop management. Therefore the development of this project allowed to generate knowledge about the current situation of palm cultivation, the which is linked to the economic and social limitations faced by the population of the region, which has caused a deterioration of natural resources in an area with great wealth of water sources and extensive wooded areas of high ecosystem value.
Descripción
Proyecto de graduación para optar al grado de Licenciatura en Ingeniería en Gestión Ambiental.
Palabras clave
IMPACTO AMBIENTAL, RECURSOS HÍDRICOS, BOSQUES TROPICALES, CULTIVO, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, WATER RESOURCES, TROPICAL FORESTS, CROP