Resumen

BRENA, Jorge; CASTILLO, Cervando  y  WAGNER, Ana. Methodology to Delimit and Characterize Wetlands at Scales of 1:50 000 and 1:20 000. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2016, vol.7, n.2, pp.85-98. ISSN 2007-2422.

This work analyzes the past and current state of the wetlands located in the study area, on the Pacific slope of the state of Chiapas, Mexico. To this end, remote sensing techniques were applied using satellite images taken in 1986, 2004 and 2010. This was used along with digital thematic mapping processed with a geographic information system to prospectively evaluate the trends in the wetlands' behavior through the year 2030. As result, a methodology was obtained to delimit wetlands at scales of 1:50 000 and 1:20 000. Land use and vegetation maps for the three basins in the study area were used as well as a trend map for the year 2030. The temporal analysis of vegetation cover, location and topographical morphology detected problems and threats. A map of critical areas was generated to inform environmental recovery actions and reduce erosion and the risk of landslides which threatens specific localities. It is concluded that a diagnostic of the environmental health of a wetland reflects the effects of the actions taken in different parts of a basin. The information obtained is crucial to evaluate sectoral strategies and develop an integral resource management plan that promotes the economic growth of the region as well as its sustainable use.

Palabras llave : Wetlands; integrated water management; remote sensing.