IWRA Proceedings

AbstractThe problem of the environmental deterioration in the world-wide scope, day to day, is increased and it is not the exception Mexico in the River basin Lerma - Chapala, an hidrológic region conformed by five states of the Mexican Republic (Estado de Mexico, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Michoacán and Jalisco) with a territorial extension of 48,215 Km2 at which their waters end to the Lake of Chapala, that is one of greatest in Mexico and whose longitudinal sizing is around 70km. Last dates it has been observed that the water levels have diminished until levels of a 20% in the year 2000, in relation to their total capacity of storage have been registered; the river Lerma spills mainly his water to the lake. This river crosses the five states of the republic until arriving at the lake, since the contributions by draining are not so important to store water. The problem that faces the lake nowadays is because in the passage of the riverbed of the Lerma the water extractions exist for different uses like the domestic, industrial and agricultural, this last use is the greater consumption in the river basin with an efficiency annual average that is considered of a 39% for the irrigation districts and a 56% for the irrigation units. In addition problems exist within the river basin like: supply of insufficient water to satisfy the demands, overexploitation of water-bearing mantles, low efficiency in the advantage of the water in the agricultural sector, low efficiency in the urban public use of the water, degradation of the quality of the water, badly use of the infrastructure for floods, deterioration of the environmental sustainability. What actions have made the Mexican government to give solution to these conflicts? The Mexican Institute of Technology of the Water with the work of investigators, is giving answer, for which an integral study is being made that allows to know the aspects financial, environmental and social within the river basin, but How to study the economic value in the river basin? One considered to use the methodology of Contingent Valuation which allows to value the water in the Chapala Lake, it is economic valuation determines the “economic value” that the society gives the natural resource that has been considered like a public good and that does not have price in the market this economic valuation is important to demonstrate that it is important to find forms to capture the economic value that has environment to guarantee its conservation somehow. In addition to being able to know the sensitivity social that has the river basin by means of study of social perception in field. The results will allow to reach public policies between the different levels from government and to make an efficient use of the water in the river basin Lerma - Chapala.