LOCAL AND SCIENTIFIC ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE POTENTIAL AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION IN A PERIURBAN RIVER, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Rivers in large cities face management problems that could be addressed through the integration of scientific and local ecological knowledge. The objective of this article is to emphasize the importance of different sources of knowledge in management alternatives for periurban watersheds. Specifically, this is done through (a) use of oral sources and archives to document the historic relationship between local residents and their natural resources, and (b) technical evaluation of the quantity and quality of water in the sub-basin through the time. We analyzed, through the 19 unstructured interviews, local residents' knowledge related to water quantity and quality. Additionally, we analyzed historical river flow data and water quality reports. The results show that the relationship between the local inhabitants and the river has been governed by public policies of both exploitation and conservation. For the last century, the river was used as the main source of electric power for local industry, the collapse of which, led to the decline of the importance of the river in the perception of the locals. Analysis of historical river flow data reveals a slight decrease in flow despite a trend of somewhat lower precipitation. This discrepancy may be due to hydraulic infrastructure construction and uncontrolled extraction. We conclude that the integration of two kinds of knowledge present a great opportunity to test a monitoring system that incorporates the environmental features that were more accurately described by the local residents: water quantity and forest land use.