Economic impact of water resources management in Peru

River ecosystems, as tangled webs of life that meander through the landscape, play an essential role in regulating biogeochemical cycles and maintaining global biodiversity. These aquatic systems, defined by constant dynamics and high productivity, are home to a multitude of species and offer a wide range of ecosystem services essential to human well-being.
However, increasing anthropogenic pressure on water resources has led to significant alterations in the composition and functioning of these ecosystems. Chemical pollution, overexploitation of aquifers, channel modification and the introduction of exotic species are some of the main threats facing rivers and wetlands around the world. In this context, it is important to mention that the quality and availability of fresh water, a finite and indispensable resource for life, has become one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, causing the growing demand for water to meet the needs of a constantly increasing population that, added to the effects of climate change, has exacerbated water scarcity in many regions of the planet.
The general objective of this study is to estimate the economic, social and environmental value of the water regulation ecosystem services of the Cerro Ilucán ecological conservation area, in the city of Cutervo, province of the same name, department of Cajamarca, in Peru.