Climate Change and Overuse: Water Resource Challenges during Economic Growth in Coquimbo, Chile

Roberto Pizarro, Pablo A. Garcia-Chevesich, John E. McCray, Jonathan O. Sharp, Rodrigo Valdés-Pineda, Claudia Sangüesa, Dayana Jaque-Becerra, Pablo Álvarez, Sebastián Norambuena, Alfredo Ibáñez, Carlos Vallejos and Romina Mendoza
Additional contact information
Roberto Pizarro: Cátedra Unesco en Hidrología de Superficie, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
Pablo A. Garcia-Chevesich: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
John E. McCray: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Jonathan O. Sharp: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Rodrigo Valdés-Pineda: Piteau Associates, Water Management Group, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA
Claudia Sangüesa: Cátedra Unesco en Hidrología de Superficie, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
Dayana Jaque-Becerra: School of Forest Engineering, University of Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
Pablo Álvarez: Laboratorio PROMMRA, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena 1700000, Chile
Sebastián Norambuena: Laboratorio PROMMRA, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena 1700000, Chile
Alfredo Ibáñez: Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera (CENAMAD), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 3580000, Chile
Carlos Vallejos: Independent Researcher, Talca 3460000, Chile
Romina Mendoza: Cátedra Unesco en Hidrología de Superficie, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-10

Abstract: The arid Coquimbo region of Chile has experienced a significant economic growth in recent decades, fueled in large part by water-intensive activities such as mining and agriculture. Under this context, a monthly and annual trend analysis of precipitation, streamflow, and piezometric levels was carried out. Thus, 43 pluviometric stations, 11 fluviometric stations, and 11 wells were selected. These stations were evaluated for their temporal trends using the Mann–Kendall test. Results revealed a significant decrease in river flows, with negative and significant trends concentrated in the mean and maximum flows, both at annual and monthly levels. Likewise, positive trends were found in the depth to water table on wells, with significant trends in 81.8% of the monthly cases, and in 72.7% of the annual cases. While also decreasing over the same period, rainfall trends exhibit high variability and lacked significance. Although the amounts of precipitation have decreased, this does not seem to be the main factor responsible for the scarcity of water in the region, but rather an excessive consumption of this resource. This is endorsed by the increase in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is explained by activities that consume water (mining and agriculture). Similarly, an increase in the granting of underground water rights was verified, which speaks of the high demands for the resource. However, future modeling is advised to better understand the regional hydrology of the area and quantify the anthropic effects on water resources more precisely.

Keywords: Chile; land use planning; water management; anthropogenic effects; sustainable water resources management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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