TY - JOUR
T1 - Tracer Hydrology Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities Across Latin America and the Caribbean
AU - Sánchez-Murillo, Ricardo
AU - Birkel, Christian
AU - Yépez, Enrico A.
AU - Oyarzún, Ricardo
AU - Poca, María
AU - Londoño, Orlando Mauricio Quiroz
AU - Muñoz-Villers, Lyssette E.
AU - Durán-Quesada, Ana M.
AU - de Calderón, Marcia Barrera
AU - Sánchez-Gutiérrez, Rolando
AU - Mosquera, Giovanny M.
AU - Villanueva Estrada, Ruth E.
AU - Marshall, Geoffrey
AU - Moncada, Javier Barberena
AU - Ibarra-Alejos, Odalys Julissa
AU - Farrick, Kegan K.
AU - Quezadas, Juan Pérez
AU - Welsh, Kristen
AU - Fernandoy, Francisco
AU - Torres-Martínez, Juan A.
AU - Arumí, José Luis
AU - Cox, Megan
AU - Flores-Meza, Yelba
AU - Montiel, María L.
AU - Hernández-Ortiz, Junior O.
AU - Mejía González, Miguel A.
AU - Avalos, Claudia R.
AU - González-Hita, Luis
AU - Gastmans, Didier
AU - Olea-Olea, Selene
AU - Esquivel-Hernández, Germain
AU - Jacob, Dana M.
AU - Kuhn, Isadora Aumond
AU - Menta, Agustín
AU - Giménez, Manuel
AU - Martínez, Isabel Pérez
AU - Castro, Roger Pacheco
AU - Cardona, Paola Alejandra Vásquez
AU - Somos-Valenzuela, Marcelo
AU - Flores Avilés, Gabriela P.
AU - García-Moya, Alejandro
AU - Méndez, Angela
AU - Kirchheim, Roberto E.
AU - Cabrera, Marcela
AU - Osorio-Ugarte, Haydée
AU - Camacho-Puerto, Juan
AU - Soulsby, Chris
AU - Miller, Jodie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Author(s). Hydrological Processes published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2026/1
Y1 - 2026/1
N2 - Tracer hydrology in Latin America and the Caribbean has made significant progress in recent decades, largely through the sustained support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Current practises show water stable isotope applications and precipitation-groundwater monitoring at the core of most networks, providing valuable insights into recharge mechanisms, groundwater to surface water connectivity, pollution tracking, and climate variability. Despite these advances, critical challenges persist, including short and fragmented monitoring records, limited capture of extreme events, restricted data accessibility, and persistent barriers related to funding, analytical capacity, and weak policy integration. Improving science communication emerges as an urgent need to transform technical findings into actionable knowledge that informs decision-makers and empowers communities. Opportunities exist to build on IAEA's legacy by sustaining long-term networks, diversifying tracer applications, mobilising citizen science in monitoring efforts, expanding modelling and laboratory capacity, and advocating for FAIR data sharing across end-users. Strengthened collaboration across the region, improved communication, and deeper policy engagement can elevate tracer hydrology into a pillar of regional water governance and hydro-climate resilience.
AB - Tracer hydrology in Latin America and the Caribbean has made significant progress in recent decades, largely through the sustained support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Current practises show water stable isotope applications and precipitation-groundwater monitoring at the core of most networks, providing valuable insights into recharge mechanisms, groundwater to surface water connectivity, pollution tracking, and climate variability. Despite these advances, critical challenges persist, including short and fragmented monitoring records, limited capture of extreme events, restricted data accessibility, and persistent barriers related to funding, analytical capacity, and weak policy integration. Improving science communication emerges as an urgent need to transform technical findings into actionable knowledge that informs decision-makers and empowers communities. Opportunities exist to build on IAEA's legacy by sustaining long-term networks, diversifying tracer applications, mobilising citizen science in monitoring efforts, expanding modelling and laboratory capacity, and advocating for FAIR data sharing across end-users. Strengthened collaboration across the region, improved communication, and deeper policy engagement can elevate tracer hydrology into a pillar of regional water governance and hydro-climate resilience.
KW - climate change impacts
KW - Latin America and the Caribbean
KW - monitoring networks
KW - policy making
KW - science communication
KW - stranded data assets
KW - tracer hydrology
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105027308306
U2 - 10.1002/hyp.70376
DO - 10.1002/hyp.70376
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:105027308306
SN - 0885-6087
VL - 40
JO - Hydrological Processes
JF - Hydrological Processes
IS - 1
M1 - e70376
ER -
SDG 13 Climate Action