Design of a management model for a tropical wetland

Abstract

This article presents, as a novelty, the design of the Tropical Wetland Management Model (TWMM). The model is based on the components and criteria established in the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, (Ramsar Convention). The TWMM consists of the formulation of a multicriteria matrix (MCM), analyzing its applicability for the Urama-Venezuela Wetland. The MCM includes five components for comparison, 25 criteria, and 56 attributes that make up the structure of the management model. The MCM contributes to decision making for the formulation of the management model based on the analysis of eight countries in the Latin American region and two European cases: Spain and the European Union. As a result, an integrated matrix measured by a Wetland Management Model Index (WMMI) was obtained. The quantitative value of the index was as follow: Argentina,