Virtual workshop for the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama and Coquimbo aimed to contribute to the construction of the preliminary project.  

During this month, a second stage of citizen participation in the Plan will begin, focusing on indigenous communities.

In the virtual meeting “How do we adapt to climate change in the water resources sector?”, more than 200 people from the public and private sectors and civil society organizations linked to water from the regions of Arica and Parinacota to Coquimbo, provided their opinions, experiences and background for the preparation of the preliminary draft of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Water Resources, led by the General Directorate of Water of the Ministry of Public Works, with the support of the United Nations Organization for the Food and Agriculture.

The Plan is financed by the Green Climate Fund and the technical support of the Global Change Center of the Pontificia Universidad Católica, in collaboration with the University of Tarapacá and the University of La Serena for the northern macrozone, institutions that were key to contributing with the contextual information that allowed the correct development of the participatory workshops.

Cinthya Álvarez Rivera, water director of the MOP in the Coquimbo Region, pointed out that with the purpose of evaluating the state of water resources, the projected climate threats for the period 2030-2060 for the northern macrozone were presented. She also announced that this work does not end with these virtual workshops, since it will continue with face-to-face meetings with indigenous peoples.

In the virtual workshop, the effects of climate change were discussed, showing a decrease in precipitation of 2,5% between the years 2030 and 2060 for the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Antofagasta and Tarapacá, added to a temperature increase of 1,5 .0,3°C, which would lead to a decrease in surface runoff from water sources by 4,7%. Meanwhile, for the regions of Atacama and Coquimbo, a 1,3% decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperatures of 24°C was projected; with a consequent decrease in runoff by about XNUMX%. 

In this context, the working groups also debated the processes of governance, institutionality and integrated basin management. In addition, issues associated with water infrastructure, ecosystem protection, current regulations, inspection, as well as monitoring and research, education and awareness about the value of water resources and their vulnerability in the territories to to climate change.

In the workshops there was a focal table for specific dialogue with women representatives of social organizations and those linked to the water sector, where gaps regarding the ownership of use rights, participation in irrigation and drainage subsidies, access to training, and in the distribution of roles related to access and provision of water.

Miriam Talavera, member of the National Association of Rural and Indigenous Women (ANAMURI), represented a repeated concern regarding the loss of biodiversity due to the impacts of climate change and management in the territories. “We, who are rural women and from indigenous peoples, are seeing the decline through channeling all the instances where our water goes and our biodiversity is being lost; Fauna is being lost, which also has nowhere to take when it is channeled. The flora has decreased a lot, the herbs we had before are not there, the seeds do not reproduce as easily as before,” she commented.

The next participation activities will take place between the months of March and April with in-person workshops with the 11 indigenous peoples recognized by the State of Chile, whose registration can be done now at https://snia.mop.gob.cl/pacc-rh/talleres-participativos. The objective is for the people to participate in determining their priorities to prepare the preliminary draft of the Plan.