3. Natural Freshwater Heritage

This chapter describes the natural flow of fresh water across the country, how precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and sediments relate to land use patterns, and how the changes in climate are affecting traditional cycles or impacting the amount of sediments reaching freshwater bodies. It also includes a small section on the crater lakes and their relative importance to preserve several endemic species of fish. Finally, the chapter presents the more common species that can be observed in rivers, lakes, lagoons and dams, including migratory and invasive species. This section ends with a description of all the protected areas and Ramsar sites located within the country´s territory.