Integrated Assessment of Water Resource Sustainability in the Upper Amojú River Basin, Northern Peruvian Andes

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive, statistically robust assessment of water resource sustainability in the upper section of the Amojú River Basin, Province of Jaén northern Peruvian Andes, using the Sarandón multi-cirteria methodology. A stratified convenience sample of n = 887 households distributed across 22 localities was surveyed, achieving a margin of error of ±2.61% at the 95% confidence level (finite-population correction applied; N = 2391). Sustainability was assessed across social, environmental, and economic dimensions on a standardised ordinal scale (0–4). Statistical analyses included Shapiro Wilk normality tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests against the sustainability threshold (μ₀ = 2.0), Spearman rank correlations, Kruskal Wallis tests, Cronbach’s α for internal consistency, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to provide empirical support for the indicator weighting structure. The General Sustainability Index (I = 2.32±0.52; median = 2) confirmed that the basin operates at the minimum threshold of sustainability, with 97.4% of respondents classified as sustainable. The Social (SI = 2.52±0.75), Environmental (EI = 2.18±0.39), and Economic (KI = 2.30±0.67) indices all met the threshold criterion (≥2.0). Wilcoxon tests identified three sub-indicators as significantly below the sustainability threshold (all p<0.001): Conservation Zones (mean = 0.59±0.78; 89.4% of respondents scored <2), Solid Waste Management (mean = 1.23±0.89; 68.3% scored <2), and Water Flow Perception (mean = 1.16±0.52; 90.9% scored <2). All three dimension indices were significantly intercorrelated (ρ = 0.271–0.388, p<0.001) and contributed significantly to the general index (ρ = 0.510–0.705, p<0.001). Kruskal Wallis tests confirmed that sub-indicators differed significantly within each dimension (H>971, p<0.001 for all). These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated watershed governance encompassing solid waste management programmes, biodiversity conservation zones, and equitable water tariff policies in Andean headwater basins.