This article has been translated from our Spanish version using AI technology. There may be errors in this process.
Chile faces a growing crisis: Water shortage . Drought in the region is now in its thirteenth year and the government has been forced to take extreme measures. For the first time in its history, the Andean country will implement a plan to supply water to the capital, Santiago, where more than six million people live.
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This Monday Claudio Orego The governor of the metropolitan area, Santiago, has announced plans to tackle the crisis: “The major environmental challenge for the metropolitan area, for years to come, is to provide sufficient water for human consumption, a priority, but also for agricultural, industrial and public space activities. We can’t rain, but we can be prepared for an extreme situation. “
The plan has four precautionary phases (green, orange, yellow and red) and is based on the water levels in the city’s two main water sources, the Mapocho and Maipo rivers. The number and duration of disruptions in the city will depend on the level of alert applied for each day. The document explains that water rationing will begin, but will be cut off completely in different areas of the city if necessary. The maximum duration of cuttings will be 24 hours and they will be every four, six and twelve days, depending on the shortage of water.
At a press conference, Eugene Rodriguez Client Director Andean waters , The company that operates the supply of drinking water and sewerage in Santiago, explained: “Protocols need to be in place, because the risks are obvious. Rivers bring water to a minimum, its flow is minimal, and we must be prepared and coordinate with the authorities … We join the urgent need to adapt to this climate change, from both protocols, from investment to possible execution, as well as adaptation that we We all have to do it at home. “
It’s not just Santiago: Climate change and urbanization are two factors that increase water scarcity in the world’s major cities. According to the United Nations, about 1.2 billion people live in water-scarce areas, where 500 million people are close to that situation. In Mexico, the city of Monterey was forced to apply cuts by region to address the current water crisis.
