Application of Isotopic Tools for the Integrated Management of the Santa Elena Coastal Aquifer, Ecuador

In 2007, two technical cooperation projects, RLA/8/041 'Application of Isotopic Tools for Integrated Management of Coastal Aquifers, Ecuador' and ECU/8/026 'Characterization of Coastal Aquifers of the Santa Elena Peninsula' were launched to better assess groundwater resources and possible marine intrusion in the Santa Elena coastal area. Groundwater constitutes the main source of drinking water in the area, complemented by surface water resources derived from the Santa Elena reservoir. The Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral (ESPOL), through the Centro de Investigacion y Proyectos Aplicados a las Ciencias de la Tierra (CIPAT ), implemented these projects in collaboration with other local institutes. Strategic planning is designed to promote the sustainable use of groundwater, based on a solid characterization of groundwater bodies using hydrogeological, hydrochemical and isotopic techniques. ESPOL currently works in the isotopic characterization of the main water types and their interactions in the Santa Elena aquifer. (author)