Water Scarcity and the Impact of the Mining and Agricultural Sectors in Chile

Abstract

Abstract:Chile contains some of the driest areas in the world, yet human activities in these areas require large volumes of water, the result is regions experiencing high water scarcity leading to environmental degradation, conflicts and reduced industrial productivity. The aim of this paper was to quantify the water scarcity in the central and northern regions by calculating the water scarcity index-the ratio of annual water demand to availability. A focus of the paper was to determine the impact of the main industries in each region and investigate the benefit of implementing water reduction strategies within these industries. The water resources of each investigated region were found to be greatly overexploited and particularly so in the region of Antofagasta. The mining industry was found to be the greatest water consuming sector in this region and further analysis demonstrated that the degree of water scarcity could be greatly reduced by the implementation of water reduction strategies. The agricultural sector dominated water demand in all other regions and it was found that upgrading irrigation efficiency alongside reducing consumption in mining improved the situation in all regions. Nevertheless, given the scale of water scarcity, further investigation is necessary to obtain more recent and accurate data and analyze alternative strategies.

Assessing glacier melt contribution to streamflow at Universidad Glacier, central Andes of Chile

“…In the long term, glacier shrinkage will lead to a depletion of glacier melt and in downstream streamflow in the Tinguiririca River, particularly in late summer. This will have severe implications for human activities in the river valley such as mining, domestic consumption, industry, tourism, forestry and agriculture (Aitken et al, 2016) and hydropower generation (Valdés-Pineda et al, 2014). Hydropower generation on the Tinguiririca River at La Higuera and La Confluencia (Pelto, 2011) will be affected by interannual variability in water supply and future streamflow trends in the medium to long term.…”

“…This region, incorporating the capital city, Santiago, has more than 10 million inhabitants representing 60 % of the country's population. In addition to domestic supply, water is a crucial resource for agriculture irrigation, industries, mining, hydropower generation, tourism and transport (Aitken et al, 2016;Masiokas et al, 2006;Meza et al, 2012;Ayala et al, 2016;Valdés-Pineda et al, 2014). Population growth and urban expansion in recent years have increased the demographic pressure on water resources (Meza et al, 2012).…”

Responding to the Drought: A Spatial Statistical Approach to Investigating Residential Water Consumption in Fresno, California

“…The problem of water scarcity in California is expected to exacerbate as its population continues to grow [4,5]. Coping with water scarcity has become a new research focus in urban and regional development not only in the United States but also throughout the world [6][7][8][9][10].…”

The Paradox of Water Abundance in Mato Grosso, Brazil

“…Several recent studies have explored the notion of water abundance as the other side of the water scarcity coin, highlighting the political nature and practical implications of an overly simplistic understanding of this contested concept [1][2][3][4][5], which still remains in the shadow of the overwhelming body of literature on water scarcity (see e.g., [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]). Typically, the literature on water abundance is quick to dismiss the popular imagination of a state of peace and harmony that should supposedly result from abundant natural water resources [1,3], pointing to the importance of developing a separate branch of critical research on the issue.…”