We all know with certainty that it is urgent not only to ensure water for the lives of humans and Earth-dwelling species, but also to ensure that this vital resource is affordable, pollution-free and managed efficiently and sustainably. Undoubtedly, they are the most relevant challenges posed by the United Nations 2030 Agenda, for SDG6, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It seeks to establish universal and equitable access to drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene services, as well as improve water quality globally.
Today and for 14 years now, Chile is going through an unprecedented mega drought that is producing rationing, water cuts, fires and the need to have cistern trucks in various areas to supply many communities. Climate change has been seriously affecting our country, being one of the most vulnerable on the planet. According to the World Resources Institute, Chile ranks 18th in the ranking that identifies the countries with the highest water stress.
Drought has become an endemic and structural reality. In fact, according to figures from the General Directorate of Water, in 2022, 53% of the communes in Chile are under decrees of scarcity of the resource in terms of quality, quantity and continuity. On the other hand, according to the World Meteorological Organization, the current mega drought in central Chile is the longest and most severe in the last thousand years and the data confirm that the country is the most affected by the water crisis in Latin America.
A study published in 2019 by Fundación Chile, through its initiative ‘Water Scenarios 2030’, showed that 44% of the problems of water gap and risk in the country’s basins originate in failures in water management and governance, and only 12% represent eminently natural causes, such as the decrease in rainwater. melting snow and glacier retreat.
Therefore, it is essential to develop sustainable techniques that lead to preserving, protecting, reducing, maintaining and saving water to ensure it for future generations. The enormous challenge is to prioritize the search for real alternative solutions available to all, so that there is enough water for our needs, improving planning and efficient management. It is key to articulate in an integrated way, the public and private world, considering that private companies have shown the ability to develop various innovative technologies to deal with this problem.
It is also important, in parallel, to deepen the education of children and all citizens regarding the importance of taking care of every drop of water. Water stress not only prevents the sustainability of natural resources and our environment, but also endangers life, economic development and social welfare. For this reason, if we do not stop it now, simply the water, little by little will continue to evaporate, with the risk that the continuity of its natural cycle is destroyed and we do not have it guaranteed.
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The content expressed in this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.
