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The Impact of a Lack of Government Strategies for Sustainable Water Management and Land Use Planning on the Hydrology of Water Bodies: Lessons Learned from the Disappearance of the Aculeo Lagoon in Central Chile

Author

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  • Rodrigo Valdés-Pineda

    (Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
    Water Management Group, Piteau Associates, 2500 North Tucson Boulevard, Suite 100, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA)

  • Pablo A. Garcia-Chevesich

    (Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
    Intergovernmental Hydrological Program, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Montevideo 11200, Uruguay)

  • Alberto J. Alaniz

    (Department of Geographic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Santiago (USACH), Santiago, Chile)

  • Héctor L. Venegas-Quiñones

    (Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA)

  • Juan B. Valdés

    (Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA)

  • Roberto Pizarro

    (Cátedra Unesco en Hidrología de Superficie, University of Talca, Mailbox 747, Avenida Lircay s/n, Talca 3460000, Chile
    Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera, (CENAMAD), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile)

Abstract

Several studies have focused on why the Aculeo Lagoon in central Chile disappeared, with a recent one concluding that a lack of precipitation was the main cause, bringing tremendous political consequences as it supported the argument that the government is not responsible for this environmental, economic, and social disaster. In this study, we evaluated in detail the socio-economic history of the watershed, the past climate and its effects on the lagoon’s water levels (including precipitation recycling effects), anthropogenic modifications to the lagoon’s water balance, the evolution of water rights and demands, and inaccurate estimates of sustainable groundwater extraction volumes from regional aquifers. This analysis has revealed novel and undisputable evidence that this natural body of water disappeared primarily because of anthropogenic factors (mostly river deviations and aquifer pumping) that, combined with the effects of less than a decade with below-normal precipitation, had a severe impact on this natural lagoon–aquifer system.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodrigo Valdés-Pineda & Pablo A. Garcia-Chevesich & Alberto J. Alaniz & Héctor L. Venegas-Quiñones & Juan B. Valdés & Roberto Pizarro, 2021. "The Impact of a Lack of Government Strategies for Sustainable Water Management and Land Use Planning on the Hydrology of Water Bodies: Lessons Learned from the Disappearance of the Aculeo Lagoon in Ce," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-33, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2021:i:1:p:413-:d:715342
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rasoul Maleki & Mehdi Nooripoor & Hossein Azadi & Philippe Lebailly, 2018. "Vulnerability Assessment of Rural Households to Urmia Lake Drying (the Case of Shabestar Region)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Somayeh Mohammadi Hamidi & Christine Fürst & Hossein Nazmfar & Ahad Rezayan & Mohammad Hassan Yazdani, 2021. "A Future Study of an Environment Driving Force (EDR): The Impacts of Urmia Lake Water-Level Fluctuations on Human Settlements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-19, October.
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