{"id":237,"date":"2020-05-14T18:54:51","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T18:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/waterinchile\/?page_id=237"},"modified":"2020-10-24T20:07:35","modified_gmt":"2020-10-24T20:07:35","slug":"homepage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/waterinchile\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/waterinchile\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2020\/05\/Title-River-scaled.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” min_height=”800px” custom_padding=”60px|||||”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”27px|||||” _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”80px” text_font_size_tablet=”50px” text_font_size_phone=”30px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_letter_spacing_last_edited=”on|desktop” text_line_height=”1em” text_line_height_phone=”1em” text_line_height_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font=”||||||||” text_orientation=”center” custom_padding=”||0px|||”]<\/a><\/p>\n

Climate Change
and Water Rights\u00a0in Chile<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Abhaya Libre|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”24px” text_text_color__hover_enabled=”on”]<\/p>\n

By David Lochead<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ custom_padding=”||0px|||”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|7px||||” custom_margin=”-2px|auto||auto||” _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”|||||” custom_padding=”|||||”]<\/p>\n

Ema Rivas Garrido sits inside her home with her son, Humberto Ramirez Rivas, on a sunny winter day. They are nestled in the middle of a mountain village, Arroyo El Gato, in the Ays\u00e9n region of Southern Chile and Northern Patagonia. The skyline is surrounded by other mountains that nearly reach the clouds. Farming animals such as cows and chickens roam through the area. While the bottom of the mountain is green with grass, Garrido\u2019s house is situated at a high enough altitude that ankle-deep snow surrounds the village. Ramirez Rivas, who grew up in this village, has seen more snow in the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis snow is nothing,\u201d Ramirez Rivas says.<\/p>\n

When he was a child, the snow used to be more than a metre deep.<\/p>\n

Arroyo El Gato is filled with water, from rivers and streams that run through the area. But ten years ago, the Rivas Garrido family noticed those water channels changing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe water has dried up in many places,\u201d Rivas Garrido says.<\/p>\n

At 94 years of age, she is the oldest settler in her mountain village, having come here with her family in 1972. She anticipates the upcoming summer will be dry. Data from the University of Chile shows that the temperature in the area rose by 0.07 degrees per year from 2010 to 2016. This is similar to the global temperature rise. But with Arroyo El Gato surrounded by mountains carrying water through snow and ice, the loss of water through temperature increase is noticeable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#0C71C3″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Nut Graph” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”|||”]<\/p>\n

In Chile, the effects of climate change \u2014 warming temperatures and dryer climate \u2014 are reducing the country\u2019s water supply.<\/p>\n

According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), Chile is in a difficult position for water stress. Water stress is a measurement that combines temperature, precipitation, available water supply, irrigation, energy demand and population in country to determine how stressed for water a country is currently and will be for the future. Currently, Chile has medium water stress. But the increase in temperatures, decrease in precipitation, growing demand in energy and retreat of glaciers will make Chile the most water-stressed country in South America by 2040.\u00a0 If Chile is to avoid drastic water loss, restructuring the country needs to start now.<\/p>\n

Managing the water supply is a significant challenge. In Chile water is treated as private property. Under the country\u2019s water rights system, water from any location can be owned by an individual or a company. If the owner of the water right wants to trade it like a commodity, they can do so on the water market, where water rights are bought and sold as if it is on a stock market.<\/p>\n

By commodifying water, the chances of unequal access to water rights increases. An unwelcome possibility in a country with a high level of income inequality. A 2018 report from the National Statistics Institute of Chile states that half of Chileans earn less than $550 a month, while the per capita income is around $2000 a month, meaning a large portion of Chile\u2019s wealth is concentrated at the top of the income bracket. This inequality is further reflected by a recent government study that reported the wealthiest Chileans make 13.6 times more than the poorest.<\/p>\n

If Chile is to avoid becoming extremely water stressed, its privatized system must make water available to everyone.<\/p>\n

As well, the country will have to bring water to the driest areas. The north of the country is arid desert, the central region has a Mediterranean climate while the south includes mountains, glaciers and forest.<\/p>\n

Each region has different levels of water availability and their own obstacles in ensuring residents have water access. The difficulties of accessing water will continue to challenge Rivas Garrido and Ramirez Rivas, as well as the rest of the country.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Central Chile” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/waterinchile\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2020\/05\/Santiago-City-View-Wide-scaled.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” min_height=”800px” animation_style=”fade” animation_duration=”1400ms”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”70px” text_font_size_tablet=”50px” text_font_size_phone=”30px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center”]<\/a><\/p>\n

Central Chile<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Central Chile Text” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ custom_padding=”1px||6px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”|||”]<\/p>\n

Near Victoria Marincovic\u2019s suburban neighbourhood of El Arrayan is a bridge over what is technically classified as a river. That river is now reduced to a stream, with bushes and soil taking up the space where water once flowed. Once upon a time there were trees behind Marincovic\u2019s house, but now the soil is so dry it can no longer sustain them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have a view from here before \u2013 I just had pines,\u201d Marincovic said of the trees that used to block her from seeing the dry mountain behind her house.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were huge. And they\u2019re not there anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Central Chile River Background” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/waterinchile\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2020\/05\/El-Arrayan-River.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” min_height=”800px”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”|10px||10px” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.47)” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” width=”60%” animation_style=”slide” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_delay=”500ms”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”18px” custom_padding=”||0px|||”]<\/p>\n

Marincovic lives in the Metropolitan Region (MR) of Chile, which is the central area of the country where 70 per cent of the population lives. With the Andes mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, its geography features valleys, rivers, and water basins.<\/p>\n

Despite a mediterranean climate, this region has a big problem: it is losing water rapidly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”|10px||10px” custom_margin=”|auto|-27px|auto||” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.52)” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” width=”60%” animation_style=”slide” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_delay=”500ms”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”18px”]<\/p>\n

\u00a0According to the Chilean Antarctic Institute, the MR has lost three centimetres of precipitation each decade since the 1970s. Over that period, Chile lost between 8-15 gigatons of water, which is the amount of water New York City uses in a year eight to 15 times over. Since 2010, the area has been in the grip of what has been termed \u201cthe megadrought\u201d \u2014 the largest recorded drought in Chile\u2019s history. As a result, 37 per cent of the region\u2019s water supply has been lost.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Central Chile: Text and Video” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”||0px|||” _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”|||||”]<\/p>\n

Marincovic says she and others in her neighbourhood know this drought is an example of climate change reducing their water availability. But she and other residents of El Arrayan insist that climate change is not the only problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, a year ago we started to become aware of what was going on,\u201d Marincovic says.<\/p>\n

She is referring to the Los Bronces mining project near El Arrayan. The project is majority owned by the British based mining company Anglo American. The Los Bronces project is Anglo American\u2019s flagship mine in Chile and is estimated to hold 30 per cent of Chile\u2019s copper.<\/p>\n

The mining project also requires a significant amount of water. To extract copper the process involves pumping a mixture of copper ore and liquid, called a slurry, through a pipeline. The Los Bronces mine pumps a copper slurry through their pipelines at a pace of 700-800 litres per second. But approximately 500 litres of that is actually water. For the overall operation, Anglo American stated in their shareholders meeting it uses close to 710 litres of freshwater per second.<\/p>\n

Most of that is freshwater from local reservoirs for which Anglo American has obtained the water rights.<\/p>\n

Marincovic says as a result of the Los Bronces mine, residents in El Arrayan have to dig their wells to 150 metres below ground to access water.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be 50 (metres), then 100, and we had to dig the wells deeper and deeper,\u201d Marincovic says.<\/p>\n

In El Arrayan, a group of increasingly concerned neighbours began messaging each other, warning of ecological damage. The messaging culminated in a community WhatsApp group called \u2018Let\u2019s Save El Arrayan\u2019 of which Marincovic is an active member.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have created this organization because we want to raise awareness and help to mitigate climate change,\u201d Marincovic says of the WhatsApp group.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=r-iCr_xi8tY” admin_label=”Marincovic’s Opinion On The Water Code” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ module_alignment=”center”][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Central Chile Dry Mountain Background” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/waterinchile\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2020\/05\/El-Arrayan-Dry-Mountain.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” min_height=”800px”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”|10px||10px” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.4)” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” width=”60%” animation_style=”slide” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_delay=”500ms”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”18px”]At a shareholders meeting last March, Anglo American representatives were asked what the company will do about the residents of El Arrayan who have been negatively affected by water loss because of the Los Bronces project.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”|10px||10px” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.46)” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” width=”60%” animation_style=”slide” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_delay=”500ms”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”18px” custom_padding=”9px|||||”]<\/p>\n

The company responded by saying it will take a multi-pronged approach to ensure critical areas for water are not disturbed and that long-term water security of residents is guaranteed.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”|10px||10px” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.46)” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” width=”60%” animation_style=”slide” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_delay=”500ms”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” text_font_size=”18px”]The company also vowed to cancel their $3 billion reconstruction plan if there is evidence the mine is contributing to glacier melt in the region.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Central Chile Final” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”18px” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”|||”]<\/p>\n

However, the Chilean news outlet Interferencia published an investigation showing the Anglo American project would emit more than three per cent of all CO2 emissions in Chile and permanently damage nearby glaciers. In response, an Anglo American public relations employee in El Arrayan sent a poster by Anglo American to community members that claims the Interferencia story is fake.<\/p>\n

Anglo American has also been accused of illegally transferring funds to government bodies involved with the environmental assessment of the Los Bronces project. According to an investigation by the Chilean publication CIPER, more than $300 million from Anglo American was transferred to the Municipality of Lo Bernechea. Under the Comptroller\u2019s Office this type of contribution is illegal because the Lo Bernechea municipal government is the community authority that is supposed to participate in the Los Bronces environmental assessment.<\/p>\n

Anglo American\u2019s assertions of environmental responsibility ring hollow to Marincovic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean that if we oppose the plans the mine will stop working,\u201d Marincovic says. She does not believe Anglo American is making enough efforts to conserve water or avoid environmental damage to the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, the laws should be transformed, and the government should support the citizens so that we can use the water for our own consumption \u2014 for us and all living beings here \u2014 the plants and animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/waterinchile\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2020\/05\/Anglo-American-Fake-News-Pamplet.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”3.22.5″ min_height=”341px” custom_margin=”|||||” custom_padding=”|||||”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.5″ text_font=”Georgia||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”12px” header_font=”Georgia||||||||” header_text_color=”#000000″ min_height=”62px”]The poster spread by Anglo American through El Arrayan. The title says ’10 Fake News Stories About Los Bronces'[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”5px|||||” _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.22.5″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.22.5″]