As the hydro developments I am focusing on in Chile, mainly the Maipo and Manso, are currently being constructed, their fluctuating statuses are difficult to keep up with as I attempt to draw conclusions. The Ñuble River has most recently distracted my focus. The Ñuble runs through the Bío Bío Region and is currently slated for two projects. […]

Hydropower projects in many countries continue to ride on the politically endorsed wave of “renewable” energy promotion, despite their implications. While the use of water’s kinetic energy is renewable in terms of the general hydraulic cycle, climate variations and basin wide ecological degradation bring into question the reality of hydropower’s “renewable” state. It has become […]

The ways in which Arundhati Roy depicts hydropower dynamics in India is powerful, and there are definite connections and generalizations to be made regarding nations building large dams. However, her writings have allowed me to more clearly perceive how Chile differs in many regards. These differences are not necessarily better or worse, but those who […]

The caption of this video emphasizes Santiago’s relation and dependence upon the Maipo River. While the video itself delves into the specific impacts of the Alto Maipo project, the lack of separation of San Jose de Maipo as an entity outside of Santiago is not one often represented, nor is it one that I found to be […]

In 2005, one of the amendments of the Water Code created a tax on unused water rights. As the international energy sector controls the majority of Chile’s water, especially in the South, anterior motives becomes clear. Economic incentive to profit off of the resource rather than pay to maintain potential future use is obvious. Furthermore, the same amendment provided […]

Over the past month, conflicts regarding hydro developments in the south of Chile have exploded. The Puelo River, which begins in Argentina and flows through Chile, relatively near the Futaleufú, has been targeted for a massive hydroelectric dam. Despite nearly 30 listed complaints, the Mediterranean dam, which will use the majority of the Torrentoso’s and Manso’s water, […]

Social injustices are a common result of mismanaged and over allocated water resources. While those peoples located nearest the resource often depend on its health and flow most directly, their power over its management does not reflect such a relationship. This issue is especially prevalent in Chile, as water rights are overwhelmingly held by energy […]

While last week I began to concentrate on the interconnected reaches of energy corporations, this week I have identified two more crucial concepts, specific to my situated context, which are in great need of investigation. In order to more completely understand the current Chilean Water Management system, I will need to analyze the Chilean Water […]