Abstract
This document makes a comprehensive analysis of the inequality of the water market in Chile, measured by the Gini coefficient method. The situation of water rights in Chile is of particular interest because it is a wholly privatized system, where rights are traded in the market and therefore water is presented as a commodity. This privatization of water in Chile occurred as part of the process of neo-liberalization since the 1981 Water Code. The results of this study indicate that both concentration and inequality in the distribution of water rights are very high, which undermines a just social development process and facilitates the economic exploitation of the environment. It proposes a profound revision of the application of a mercantile logic to a scarce essential resource for life such as water and explores the importance of its role as a national good for public use.
Highlights
The World Health Organization and UNICEF indicated that Chile is the Latin-American country with the highest access to safely managed drinking water services [1]
There is a contradiction between the global data indicating high access to safely managed drinking water services and the conflicts occurring in the territories related to the water market in
We present the concentration of water rights, incorporating those protagonists for whom we do not have data (Table 1) and a table of consumptive rights considering only those for which uses for the water are identified (Table 2)
Summary
The World Health Organization and UNICEF indicated that Chile is the Latin-American country with the highest access to safely managed drinking water services [1]. Water rights are privatized and diverse conflicts are related to this legal framework regarding a natural resource. The privatization scheme has triggered conflicts between water rights owners and local communities, such as the Mapuche-Huilliche case in the south of the territory [3] and with the Atacama communities in the north [4,5]. There is a contradiction between the global data indicating high access to safely managed drinking water services and the conflicts occurring in the territories related to the water market in
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
