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

Author

Listed:
  • Roberto Pizarro

    (Cátedra Unesco en Hidrología de Superficie, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
    Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera (CENAMAD), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 3580000, Chile)

  • Pablo A. Garcia-Chevesich

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
    Intergovernmental Hydrological Program, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Montevideo 11200, Uruguay)

  • 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
    Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA)

  • Claudia Sangüesa

    (Cátedra Unesco en Hidrología de Superficie, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
    Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera (CENAMAD), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 3580000, 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)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • 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 Ibáñ, 2022. "Climate Change and Overuse: Water Resource Challenges during Economic Growth in Coquimbo, Chile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3440-:d:771664
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Douglas Aitken & Diego Rivera & Alex Godoy-Faúndez & Eduardo Holzapfel, 2016. "Water Scarcity and the Impact of the Mining and Agricultural Sectors in Chile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Pablo Sarricolea & Mariajosé Herrera-Ossandon & Óliver Meseguer-Ruiz, 2017. "Climatic regionalisation of continental Chile," Journal of Maps, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 66-73, November.
    3. Rosa Duarte & Vicente Pinilla & Ana Serrano, 2014. "Looking backward to look forward: water use and economic growth from a long-term perspective," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(2), pages 212-224, January.
    4. Sarfaraz Alam & Mekonnen Gebremichael & Ruopu Li & Jeff Dozier & Dennis P. Lettenmaier, 2019. "Climate change impacts on groundwater storage in the Central Valley, California," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 387-406, December.
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