Local institutional adaptation to groundwater overexploitation challenges: case study from Copiapó aquifer, Chile

Abstract

Chile’s approach to water management, based on a private property regimen combined with a period of extreme drought, had led to the overexploitation of groundwater. To address this issue, groundwater communities have formed and implemented management actions beyond the functions assigned to them by law. This article focuses on the experience of groundwater communities in the Copiapó Aquifer in Chile, highlighting their innovative actions such as incorporating environmental protection goals, promoting participation in decision-making, facilitating temporary water transfers, and conducting studies for improved management. The adaptive capacity demonstrated by groundwater communities shows the potential for innovation in Chilean groundwater management.

KEYWORDS:

• Groundwater overexploitation
• groundwater management
• water markets
• institutional adaptation
• Chile

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Carlos Araya, Director of CASUB in Copiapó, Carolina Veroitza, General Manager of Groundwater Community 4, and Fernanda Prohens, General Manager of Groundwater Communities 1, 2, and 3, who impartially shared their knowledge and experience regarding groundwater management in Copiapó aquifer.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported, in part, by the CORFO-Chile under Grant [13BPC3-19056]; FONDEF-ANID under Grants [IT18I0022; CA13I10102]; and FIC-Atacama under Grant [BIP 40013379].