Guido Soto

Stakeholder participation within the public environmental system in Chile: Major gaps between theory and practice

The main objective of this paper is to present a critical analysis of the stakeholder participation process within the Environmental Impact Assessment System in Chile, after ca. 14 years of being enforced. This analysis is sustained by the description and analysis of the stakeholder participation possibilities in a representative rural area of North-Central Chile. The Environmental Basis Act 19300, enacted in 1994, considers the participation of the local community in the environmental impact assessment of new projects. However, this possibility is very limited and difficult to exert, often resulting in frustration for the participants. This is due to a number of reasons, such as the imbalance of resources and knowledge among the majority of participating communities and project proponents, the complexity and administrative and legal constraints to participation, and the dominant interest of the Central Government in approving investments, specifically in energy and natural resources related projects, which generate wealth and jobs. Also, the States rush to develop Internet-based communication and management systems has built a barrier for poor, traditional communities. This factor is clearly reflected in the case study considered. Results show that there is generally a significant lack of knowledge about institutions and participation tools. From this base, we intend to raise concern on these selected aspects that could be addressed to improve the effectiveness of the existing framework, both in Chile and in other developing countries, where immature environmental impact assessment and public management systems face similar pressures in relation to the sustainable use of their natural resources. Finally, some basic steps are proposed in order to make the community participation an effective tool for sustainable development.

Application of water quality indices and analysis of the surface water quality monitoring network in semiarid North-Central Chile

Surface water quality has increasing importance worldwide and is particularly relevant in the semiarid North-Central Chile, where agriculture and mining activities are imposing heavy pressure on limited water resources. The current study presents the application of a water quality index in four watersheds of the 29°–33°S realm for the period 1999–2008, based on the Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment approach and the Chilean regulation for irrigation water quality. In addition, two modifications to the index are tested and a comprehensive characterization of the existing monitoring network is performed through cluster analysis. The basins studied show fairly good water quality in the overall, specially the Limarí basin. On the other hand, the lower index values were obtained for the headwaters of Elqui, associated with the El Indio mining district. The first modification of the indicator (i.e., to consider parameters differentially according to their effect on human health or the environment) did not produce major differences with respect to the original index, given the generally good water quality. The second modification (i.e., to consider as threshold values the more restrictive figures derived from a set of regulations) yielded important differences in the indicator values. Finally, an adequate characterization of the monitoring network was obtained. The results presented spatial coherence and the information can be used as a basis for the optimization of the monitoring network if required.

Decision support system for catchment management with focus on mining impacts and arid zones – Elqui Valley, Chile.

More than 25% of South America is arid or semi-arid. Mining is the sector with the highest environmental impact, whereas it contributes more to legal export earnings in the region than any other sector. There is a need to rigorously review the effectiveness of existing policies, and to develop new approaches to river-basin management to prevent a permanent damage to the fragile ecosystems and water resources. The Elqui river basin (30oS; 71oW) has been selected as the study area in Chile in the international project CAMINAR. The project seeks to develop standards, which might be used as a basis for recommended ‘best practices’ or as a foundation for formal regulations/ for the sustainable management of ecosystems in those river-basins which are subject to impacts from mining. A water management DSS consists of three main subsystems integrated in an interactive manner: an information management subsystem (i.e., a database integrated in a GIS), a set of models integrated with the database and a user-interface. This allows undertaking predictive modelling of river basin flow and quality, simulations of response to a range of possible different scenarios associated with mining activities. The experiences gathered so far are being presented.