Integral rainwater harvesting system in La Reina, El Salvador
Description
Location
Sketch
Information about lithology/geochemistry:
The geology consists of weathered intermediate-acid volcanic rocks, forming local aquifers of limited extent and medium to low productivity, which reduces water availability during dry periods.
Main Description
- The project operates in a 2.9 km² micro-basin, using infiltration ditches, reservoirs, and living barriers to enhance water retention, aquifer recharge, and climate resilience in a drought-prone region.
- Two reservoirs with a total capacity of 5,000 m³ store rainwater, regulate flow, support local biodiversity, and provide water for hydroponic fodder and livestock in La Reina.
- The demosite enhances Fresh Water provision, Erosion Prevention, and Habitats for Species. It also maintains Local Climate Regulation and Moderation of Extreme Events like floods and droughts.
Enhance ecohydrological processes in novel ecosystem
YES
Apply complementary Ecohydrological processes in high impacted system
YES
This table presents the different categories of ecosystem services that ecosystem can provide, divided in:
Provisioning Services are ecosystem services that describe the material or energy outputs from ecosystems. They include food, water and other resources.
Fresh water: Ecosystems play a vital role in the global hydrological cycle, as they regulate the flow and purification of water. Vegetation and forests influence the quantity of water available locally.
Regulating Services are the services that ecosystems provide by acting as regulators eg. regulating the quality of air and soil or by providing flood and disease control.
Moderation of extreme events: Extreme weather events or natural hazards include floods, storms, tsunamis, avalanches and landslides. Ecosystems and living organisms create buffers against natural disasters, thereby preventing possible damage. For example, wetlands can soak up flood water whilst trees can stabilize slopes. Coral reefs and mangroves help protect coastlines from storm damage.
Erosion prevention and maintenance of soil fertility: Soil erosion is a key factor in the process of land degradation and desertification. Vegetation cover provides a vital regulating service by preventing soil erosion. Soil fertility is essential for plant growth and agriculture and well functioning ecosystems supply the soil with nutrients required to support plant growth.
Ecosystem services "that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services". These include services such as nutrient recycling, primary production and soil formation.
Habitats for species: Habitats provide everything that an individual plant or animal needs to survive: food; water; and shelter. Each ecosystem provides different habitats that can be essential for a species’ lifecycle. Migratory species including birds, fish, mammals and insects all depend upon different ecosystems during their movements.
Cultural Services corresponds nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences.
Lifezones
Life zone
Tropical
Premontane
Dry forest
PPT(mm/yr): 1780.0
T(ºc): 27.0
| Elevation of demosite: | meters above sea level |
| Humidity: | Semiparched |
| PETr (by year): | 0.01 |
EH Principles
Quantification of the hydrological processes at catchment scale and mapping the impacts
Distribution of ecosystems and their relevant processes (ex: metabolism=water and nutrient uptake and retention; biomass production)
Ecological engineering (integration, dual regulation and biotechnologies in catchment scale for enhancement of ecological potential)
ECOHYDROLOGY ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS
Ecohydrological infrastructure comprehensively manages water resources and improves ecosystem services. The construction of works for water retention and infiltration, increase the surface and residence time of water, increasing its availability; Also, the development of living barrier works such as erosion control and a system of sedimentators generates a reduction in water velocity, natural filtration and protection of the project's own infrastructure, thus strengthening resilience to droughts and climate change.
Ecohydrological Infrastructure
Major Issues
Expected Outcomes
The main expected outcomes are: increased water availability and aquifer recharge, enhanced resilience to droughts and floods, improved ecosystem services and biodiversity, sustainable livestock production through hydroponic fodder, and the establishment of a replicable model for national-scale water resource management and climate change adaptation.
Latest Results
- The project contributes an estimated 1,800 m³ of water annually. Infiltration ditches add 275 m³ to the aquifer, while the two reservoirs contribute 850 m³ and 675 m³ respectively. Monitoring capabilities for isotopes, soil moisture, and vegetation have been established, demonstrating increased water availability and technical resilience.
Contacts
Aaron Enrique Estevez Flamenco
- aaron.estevez@asa.gob.sv
- Salvadoran Water Authority (ASA)
Social ecohydrological system
EH Objectives
EH Methodology
Catchment Ecohydrological sub-system
Objectives
Stakeholders
Catchment Sociological sub-system
Activities