Enhancement and Potential Carbon Capture in a Hyper-Arid River Basin — Case Study: Central Coast of Peru

Alexis Dueñas Dávila1, 2

1. Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

2. Federico Villarreal National University

Abstract: Climate change, as a global-scaled problem, has a direct relationship with the economic process and, in particular, with the use of natural resources. This situation was discussed with particular interest in the Lima and Paris Climate Change Conferences; with the objective to design new production and demographic levels policies. In that context, the carbon capture plays an important role in sustainable development. The methodological approach in this paper considers the selection of a non-probabilistic sample, which was made taking into account the extent of each of the river basins to be studied, establishing the distinction between its vertical components (upper, middle and lower catchment area), as well as its both riverbanks (right and left). Six blocks of study were established and, in total, 18 units of analysis.

The objective of the present research is to estimate the carbon capture capacity of three river basins of central Peru, through the calculation of the interrelation between the production of primary biomass and the effective rate of carbon sequestered. Results showed an aggregated maximum capacity of 65,171 t CO2/year for the three studied basin areas. Moreover, the calculated economic value of the environmental service (carbon capture), for the three studied river basin areas, were US$357,136, in current conditions without improvement, and US$365,127, if they included projects with Clean development mechanisms.

Key words: vegetal biomas, carbon capture, allometric equations