ABSTRACT

The Guayas River Basin (GRB, 34000 Km2) is located in the middle of the Ecuadorian coastal region (Fig. II.1-1). It is one of the most important areas in Ecuador, in terms of production. Three main activities take place within the basin, namely, urban-industrial development, agriculture and aquaculture (FalconiBenitez, 2000; Southgate and Whitaker, 1994). More than 68% of the national crop production originates from this watershed (Borbor-Cordova et al., 2006; Cornejo, 2009).