Assessment of Water Quality and Ecological Integrity in an Ecuadorian Andean Watershed

Freddy Armijos-Arcos, Cristian Salazar (), Andrés A. Beltrán-Dávalos, Anna I. Kurbatova and Elena V. Savenkova
Additional contact information
Freddy Armijos-Arcos: Group of Research for Watershed Sustainabilty (GISOCH), Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), Panamericana sur km 1 ½, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Cristian Salazar: Group of Research for Watershed Sustainabilty (GISOCH), Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), Panamericana sur km 1 ½, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Andrés A. Beltrán-Dávalos: Group of Research for Watershed Sustainabilty (GISOCH), Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), Panamericana sur km 1 ½, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Anna I. Kurbatova: Department of Environmental Safety and Product Quality Management, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 117198 Moscow, Russia
Elena V. Savenkova: Department of Environmental Safety and Product Quality Management, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 117198 Moscow, Russia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-33

Abstract: This study assessed the water quality and ecological integrity of the Columbe River micro-watershed in the Ecuadorian Andes through a multidimensional approach incorporating biotic, physicochemical, and structural indices. Indices such as the Andean Biotic Index (ABI), Biological Monitoring Working Party index adapted for Colombian conditions (BMWP-Col), Fluvial Habitat Index (IHF), Riparian Quality Index adapted for Andean conditions (QBR-And), and Water Quality Index (WQI) characterized environmental quality gradients and evaluated the impact of human activities across 11 monitoring sites. Hierarchical cluster analysis classified sampling sites into three groups: less polluted (LP), moderately polluted (MP), and highly polluted (HP). HP sites showed elevated levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), chemical oxygen demand (COD), electrical conductivity (EC), and turbidity, alongside low biotic and structural scores, indicating advanced ecological degradation. Conversely, LP sites demonstrated greater ecological integrity, despite elevated BOD 5 and COD levels across the watershed, suggesting widespread diffuse contamination. The findings identify anthropogenic activities such as livestock, agriculture, and domestic discharges as major pressures on water quality and macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Significant correlations between physicochemical parameters—including BOD 5 and EC—and declining biotic indices underscore the link between chemical water degradation and ecological fragmentation. In this context, this study highlights the critical need for comprehensive management and restoration strategies to combat pollution, safeguard relatively pristine areas, and rehabilitate the ecological integrity and connectivity of high-altitude Andean aquatic ecosystems under anthropogenic pressure.

Keywords: Andean watershed management; water quality assessment; macroinvertebrate biodiversity; anthropogenic impact (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3684/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3684/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3684-:d:1637751

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().