Impacts of Climate Fluctuations and Climate Changes on the Sustainable Development of the Arid Norte Grande in Chile

Abstract

The environmental effects of mining under the conditions of globalization are analyzed at regional and local scales in the context of their impact upon the sustainability of the Chilean “model” for economic development. The extraction of raw materials, such as copper, from mines is still the main basis of the Chilean economy. Mining, developed in the arid regions of the north of Chile in and around the Atacama Desert, is examined here with regard to its effects on the natural and social components of the environment. Major scientific concerns are focused on the availability of water to sustain economic and social needs, given the extreme aridity and the effects of climate change and fluctuations on water sources. Furthermore, most of the water in the area can be considered a nonrenewable resource because it was formed under very different paleoenvironments.

Modern recharge of water is extremely limited there, and modern economic development (mines, tourism, urban growth), as well as the cultural heritage and natural habitats in these regions, depend largely on these fossil water reserves. Accordingly, the water demand crisis urgently requires the development of a strategic policy at a regional scale in order to conserve the remaining resources, to prioritize the uses of water, and to search for alternative sources.