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A key service provided by Andean ecosystems
is the supply and regulation of water for
domestic use, agriculture and hydropower
generation. However, basic information about
hydrological processes in the Andean ecosystems
is still needed to understand the effectiveness of
different climate change adaptation measures that
target land use in Andean watersheds. However,
it has been difficult to establish and maintain
research-grade observation networks because of
remoteness and the lack of recognition of these
ecosystems as water providers. The iMHEA was
Regional Initiative on Hydrological Monitoring of Andean Ecosystems (iMHEA)
created by Andean experts and institutions to
address these obstacles.
The iMHEA aims to increase knowledge about
the hydrology of Andean ecosystems to support
decision-making for the sustainable management
of Andean water resources. The researchers
who are members of the iMHEA agreed on the
following goals for the network:
• Generation and management of information,
according to common standards, about the
hydrology of Andean ecosystems;
• Promotion of interaction among research,
public, private, and community entities
interested in Andean hydrology;
• Strengthening the technical capacities of local
entities about water resources;
• Diffusion of the results of research on Andean
hydrology.
Currently the network monitors 17 small
catchments in 8 communities throughout the
Tropical Andes, which will soon make it possible to
drawconclusions at the regional level and to identify
spatial variability in sub-regions. The programme
also benefits these communities through capacity
building and detailed hydrological information
for water management. This monitoring program
fills a gap in the data from the national hydro
meteorological networks, initiatives on monitoring
of glaciers under climate-change conditions, and
hydrological modelling studies, which have been
insufficient for hydrological management decisions
in the Andes.
CASE STUDY
Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador