Flood affectedness and household adaptation measures in rural northern Chile: A cross-sectional study in the Upper Huasco Valley

Meltzer, Laura; Dame, Juliane; Gabrysch, Sabine

doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102499

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…For detailed information on water demand, water quality, (public) health issues and drinking water systems, a standardized household survey was conducted in 25 settlements of the upper Huasco valley. The survey was realized within the wider project context by a German medical student and a Chilean research assistant from Santiago and also included sections on a flood event in 2015 and risk adaptation strategies (see Annex 3 in Meltzer et al, 2021). The questionnaire covered data from 262 households.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Annual precipitation exhibits pronounced interannual variability influenced by El Niño Southern Oscillations (ENSO) (Fiebig-Wittmaack et al, 2012;Masiokas et al, 2020). Rare extreme summer precipitation events regularly cause floods and landslides, such as in 2015 with heavy precipitation and flooding in the Huasco watershed (Salas et al, 2016;Meltzer et al, 2021). Recurring and often extensive drought periods adversely affect water resources.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Socio-hydrological dynamics and water conflicts in the upper Huasco valley, Chile

et al. 2023

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In arid regions of north-central Chile, mining activities and agricultural land use changes lead to competing water demands, water insecurity, and related conflicts. Different local and external user groups rely on the scarce water resources. This case study investigates socio-hydrological transformations in the upper Huasco valley. It builds on a mixed method approach that combines remote sensing assessments (Corona, Landsat, Sentinel-2) with a set of social science methods including interviews and an analysis of Twitter tweets. Against the backdrop of the recent mega drought, results show that the upper Huasco valley faces adverse environmental impacts and conflicts over mining activities as well as an expansion of export-oriented agriculture. While water availability largely depends on the cryosphere, remote sensing analyses show a drastic glacier decrease in the vicinity of the mining project, where three glaciers completely disappeared since 2000. Furthermore, an expansion of the cultivated area from 2,000 ha in the 1990s to about 3,210 ha occurred in the 2000s. Agricultural expansion has come to a halt and only a slight increase of 100 ha can be detected over the last decade. Interview and social media data show local concerns and discourses on issues of water scarcity and quality related to these land use changes. The study stresses the necessity of integrative assessments for a better understanding of water scarcity and water-related conflicts. Equitable water governance in climate-sensitive areas requires contextualizing land use changes and the precarious drinking water situation from a socio-hydrological perspective.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%