Dispatches From Chile2015: A Crisis On The Horizon-H20

January 18, 2015
Chilefarms, Nogales, Chile

The repressive Augusto Pinochet government in the 1980s was free-market oriented, much to the benefit of large farming and mining corporations. In the decades since, water consumption by these companies has soared, particularly by gigantic avocado growing corporations. It has reached the point at which owners of small farms in this valley have seen their water supply diminishing.

Ricardo Ceriani of Chilefarms attended a meeting recently in nearby Quillota at which area farmers relayed their concerns and anger to Congresswoman Andrea Molina, a member of the Chilean Parliament from V Region (Valparaiso). Ricardo's wife Susaan Straus says that local farmers complain but rarely organize. Congresswoman Molina listened to their concerns and surprised Ricardo with her response. "Keep coming to these meetings, your attendance here sends a message I can use to help you," he recalls she said.

Chilean farmers in this region, especially ones without deep pockets, have never felt empowered to have any effect on the vested interests of wealthy landowners, some of whom are members of the Parliament themselves. Some of the wealthiest landowners and farmers live in Los Andes and San Felipe. Situated at the base of the Andes Mountains, they are the first to be supplied with the annual snowmelt that courses over land through rivers and streams and underground through subterranean rivers flowing through cave systems in the mountains.

The wealthy farmers with political clout in these two towns already control water distribution into the valleys westward toward the Pacific. They release water into the Aconcagua River from their reservoirs once a week. Farmers downstream, including Nogales, divert water from local canals into their farms.  

For some small farmers, this is the only water they have to irrigate their crops. Farmers with more resources are digging reservoirs on their property along the canals to capture water to use the rest of the week. Chilefarms and several nearby farms have done so in the past year. Farmers with even deeper pockets and increasing concern about a reliable source of water have begun drilling deep wells to pump water from the aquifer. A drilled well could cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The value of farms with independent access to water immediately increases. All well and good for the near term but what about the future?

Areas of California that have supported huge avocado farms have gone through a similar series of events being played out here in Chile. The avocado farms in California are exhausting the water supply. Entire towns, let alone farms, have run dry. Informative graphs on the link that follows:
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/10/avocado-drought-chile-california

The farmers in this valley have a two-pronged uphill battle ahead of them. They fight powerful vested interests in the agricultural sector and their own belief that the government will not respond to grass roots organizing to affect change.

Without some form of regulation, water usage and management is going to become a contentious issue with dire consequences to the people of the central valley of Chile.

Comments

[Susaan Straus]

Another variable that is not to be underestimated is that it has only been since 1962-73 or so that land reform took place here. Up until then, regular people didn't really own land. The land belonged to the very wealthy - some of whom had received it ages ago from the King of Spain. They worked in what amounted to a feudal village for the "Patron" and never owned any land of their own. To this day, that feudal mentality effects people. There is a social split between the campesinos ( country people) and those that are historically privileged. Social class runs deep and hard. Every Chilean knows the names of the power families: Larain, Letelier, Irrarazaval, Magi, Montt, Prat, etc. Chile is one of the only 2 countries that has wider wealth inequality than the US. Point being, favoring the wealthy is the norm here - always has been.

[K B Jones]

In Florida there were/are questions of water management, contamination of the aquifer, over development, draining and mismanagement of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. Rivers, lakes, springs, and sinkholes abound. The source for replenishment is limited to rain unlike other areas. This link says more about the situation: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/water/water.htm
I am no expert but I do care about sustainability.
Thank you again for the post and telling us about what is happening in Chile.

[Katherine Burton Jones]

Your stories on the topic awakened a caring about environmental issues that I haven't felt for about 30 years when I worked for a regulatory agency and was so much closer to the issue that the pain of disregard for wetlands and water sources was palpable. I will add another comment about a wetland here in Texas where I am today and then more about Florida when I get back home. The issue of wealthy farmers and developers is so similar to my experience.

[Katherine Burton Jones]

Last fall I attended a fundraiser at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center. The website is:http://www.wetlandcenter.com/index.html. One can imagine that Texas like Florida has a great need for water management. One can imagine that those with wealth have greater control over how the resources are used. In this case there is care and giving back by one man's family. Please see "Water Conservation" and "East Fork Project" on the Wetlands website. Perhaps a project like this on could be replicated elsewhere.

Getting the word out as you are Paul is a great step. The pen, after all, is mighty!

[Katherine Burton Jones]

Water seems to be the topic this week as is should be daily. My niece just posted this on Facebook and it is relevant here: http://www.wetlandcenter.com/index.html

[Carolyn Liesy]

Good article. We are struggling with that here too on a more political level.

[Mishy Lesser]

this is so great, dear Paul. so glad you are turning your keen eye to this issue.

[Paul A. Tamburello, Jr. aka pt at large]

This story hits home from respondents from Texas to Florida to California… and Watertown! Thanks to everyone.

[Katherine Burton Jones]

I am sorry that I posted the wrong link above. Please see the Penelope Cruz video: http://natureisspeaking.org/water.html