Managed Aquifer Recharge in Chile: A Promising Alternative to Enhance Water Security

Chile currently faces several challenges related to water security, such as over-exploitationOver-exploitation and contamination of freshwater supplies and high competition for water use in productive central valleys. These challenges have been further exacerbated by the ongoing drought, which has gripped central Chile since 2010. This has pushed the country to search for new ways to manage and govern its water resources. Managed Aquifer RechargeManaged aquifer recharge (MAR) has progressively gained interest as a potential alternative to the more traditional forms of water storage and management, particularly in Chile’s northern and central zones, which have deep underlying aquifersAquifers in their central valleys between the Andes Mountains to the east and the coastal mountains to the west. While to date there have only been around 11 MAR schemes identified, the majority of which are limited to small-scale pilot schemes, there have been numerous national and local seminars on the topic, and its implementation has been included in both national and local plans to improve water security. Despite an ongoing lack of specific legislation related to MAR in Chile’s Water Code, an Operational Framework for Artificial AquiferAquifers Recharge Projects (MAR Guidelines), loosely based on the Australian approach, were published in 2021 by the National Irrigation Commission. These guidelines principally focus on the agriculture sector and encourage the development of simple and small-scale MAR schemes, with limited associated risk, which do not necessarily require lengthy consultation reviews by the national or local Water Authority. While the guidelines are not normative, it is a step closer to removing a number of barriers related to MAR implementation in Chile and instilling much-needed confidence in the user, which could be individual farmers, agricultural cooperatives or water user organizations. This paper presents an overview of the gaining interest in MAR in Chile and the various challenges currently faced from legislative, institutional, technical, and environmental and socio-economic perspectives. It also discusses the experience of preparing national guidelines to encourage the development of low-risk MAR projects and finally it presents the authors’ recommendations for further promoting economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and equitable MAR in Chile while overcoming the obstacles observed.