Guanica Bay Example

Problem - Agricultural, residential and commercial development in the Guanica Bay watershed of southern Puerto Rico has led to land use changes that influence the type and amount of (nonpoint) pollution entering the streams, lakes and coastal zone.

Recently, federal, commonwealth and non-government agencies have initiated a program to limit sediment runoff to the once-pristine coral reefs outside Guanica Bay (CWP 2008).

Historically, the watershed (150 square miles) experienced deforestation for sugar cane production and, in the 1950’s, a water project in the mountainous coffee-growing headlands region and drainage of a large lagoon affected sediment transport and filtration. The program is multi-faceted, and will attempt to reduce upland erosion in coffee-growing regions, reduce sediment transport from reservoirs, reduce in-stream channel erosion, restore a filtration lagoon, remove legacy contaminants and enhance sewage treatment.

Decision alternatives can be captured in a DPSIR framework, to aid in thinking about the problem and potential consequences of decisions within a systems framework.  The generic DPSIR concept map or the list of keywords can be used to provide examples of factors.  Concept mapping within the DPSIR framework is one tool for generating feedback from small groups of decision-makers or stakeholders.