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Assessment of the Water Footprint in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods from Developing Countries: Case Study Fátima (Gamarra, Colombia)

Author

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  • Brayan Alexis Parra-Orobio

    (Grupo de Investigación en Recurso Hídrico y Saneamiento Ambiental-GPH, Facultad de Ingenierías Fisicomecánicas, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 27 Calle 9 Ciudad Universitaria, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia
    Grupo de Investigación Gestión Ambiental y Territorios Sostenibles-GE&TES, Facultad de Ingenierías y Tecnologías, Universidad Popular del Cesar, Seccional Aguachica, Carrera 40 # 1Norte-58, Aguachica 25010, Colombia)

  • Jonathan Soto-Paz

    (Grupo de Investigación en Amenazas, Vulnerabilidad y Riesgos a Fenómenos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo, Calle 9 # 23-55, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia)

  • Anulfo Ramos-Santos

    (Grupo de Investigación Gestión Ambiental y Territorios Sostenibles-GE&TES, Facultad de Ingenierías y Tecnologías, Universidad Popular del Cesar, Seccional Aguachica, Carrera 40 # 1Norte-58, Aguachica 25010, Colombia)

  • Keiner Fernando Sanjuan-Quintero

    (Grupo de Investigación Gestión Ambiental y Territorios Sostenibles-GE&TES, Facultad de Ingenierías y Tecnologías, Universidad Popular del Cesar, Seccional Aguachica, Carrera 40 # 1Norte-58, Aguachica 25010, Colombia)

  • Rossember Saldaña-Escorcia

    (Grupo de Investigación Gestión Ambiental y Territorios Sostenibles-GE&TES, Facultad de Ingenierías y Tecnologías, Universidad Popular del Cesar, Seccional Aguachica, Carrera 40 # 1Norte-58, Aguachica 25010, Colombia)

  • Isabel Cristina Dominguez-Rivera

    (Grupo de Investigación en Recurso Hídrico y Saneamiento Ambiental-GPH, Facultad de Ingenierías Fisicomecánicas, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 27 Calle 9 Ciudad Universitaria, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia)

  • Antoni Sánchez

    (Composting Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

The increasing pressure on water resources due to population growth and high water consumption, especially in urban areas from tropical developing countries, has led to a rise in water stress. The sustainability analysis of the Total Water Footprint (WF total ) and the Environmental Sustainability Index (SI blue ) are holistic water management tools that allow for establishing pressures over water resources. This study assessed the WF total and their components (Blue, Green, and Gray) in the households of a low-income tropical neighborhood in Colombia with sanitation deficiencies. The activities associated with intra-household water use and higher environmental impact were identified, considering socioeconomic conditions and the water quality in the receiving water body, a wetland, through the application of surveys in a sample of households. The results showed that 86.7% of the WF was the WF green , followed by the WF gray (13.2%), and finally, the WF blue (0.2%). The high value of the WF green was related to food consumption patterns, which varied according to socioeconomic level. Likewise, the SI blue shows that the Baquero wetland presented scarcity scenarios regarding water quality and sedimentation, threatening the environmental service provision from this strategic ecosystem. Finally, tools such as the WF total and SI blue help identify strategies that could be implemented to reduce the pressure on the water resources and the water quality degradation in ecosystems relevant to global sustainability as wetlands.

Suggested Citation

  • Brayan Alexis Parra-Orobio & Jonathan Soto-Paz & Anulfo Ramos-Santos & Keiner Fernando Sanjuan-Quintero & Rossember Saldaña-Escorcia & Isabel Cristina Dominguez-Rivera & Antoni Sánchez, 2023. "Assessment of the Water Footprint in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods from Developing Countries: Case Study Fátima (Gamarra, Colombia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7115-:d:1131467
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Libor Ansorge, 2023. "Why Don’t Scientists Follow the Water Footprint Assessment Manual? Example of One Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-5, June.

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