Environmental economic valuation of the water resource, and the benefit for users of the irrigation system Guargualla of the parish Licto, Riobamba canton province of Chimborazo (2012-2016)

The present investigation focuses on the tributaries of the Guargualla river that supplies the irrigation system that bears the same name, it is located in the Licto parish, canton Riobamba, province of Chimborazo, being the only source of water supply for irrigation, It made necessary an economic and environmental assessment, with the purpose of implementing a system of protection and care of the tributaries. This will contribute to maintaining the quantity and quality of the water resource to promote the agricultural production of its 1926 users made up of four parishes and 22 communal irrigation committees. The work is based on a diagnosis and evaluation of the water environmental service of the place, including two important aspects, the supply and demand of water, to then determine the value of catchment and restoration, tools that will allow to identify the benefits that the valuation of water causes. We used the contingent valuation method that is used to estimate the value of goods and services that do not exist in the market, it is a simple and intuitive understanding, which is to assume a market by conducting surveys to potential consumers. The study established that 82% of users are aware of the decrease in water resources, so 91% are willing to contribute with an additional payment for the conservation of the páramos. The value of 0.31 cents was established to finance the conservation of the sources of the irrigation system of the Guargualla Board.