Water resources: Analysis of water extraction and treatment, and quantification of changes in the area of lakes and rivers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i1.684Keywords:
Wastewater, Latin America, Water conservation, Scarcity, Water resourcesAbstract
Water scarcity is a global problem that has increased in recent years. The objective of this study is to develop an analysis of freshwater extraction and treatment, and to quantify the resulting changes in lake and river areas. A quantitative, qualitative, descriptive, and critical approach was used. The data was obtained from the United Nations platform and is available on CEPALSTAT. The countries of Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru were analyzed during the years 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2022, with 2024 included in one case. The statistical analysis was applied with a 95% confidence level. In terms of freshwater extraction levels, Ecuador was identified as a country with a constant consumption (6.8%); in contrast, Colombia and Mexico experienced continuous increases. Agriculture is the activity that extracts the largest amount of water, followed by industry and services. Overall, Mexico was the largest water consumer, reaching the highest extraction peaks. It was also found that Mexico has the lowest volume of treated wastewater in cubic meters. Regarding permanent changes in the area of water belonging to lakes and rivers, Ecuador was identified as the country with continuous increases from 2.2% to 14.4%. Finally, it is recommended that an analysis be conducted using groundwater as the main factor, focusing specifically on Mexico, as this country showed greater variability in its results.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jessica Mercedes Chacha Carrillo, Ramón Gabriel Aguilar Vega, Mario Andrew Chang Gómez, Juan Carlos Ceron Vinueza, Cristian German Freire Ordóñez
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