Untangling the determinants of groundwater depletion in Copiapó (Chile)

What is it about?

This article analyzes the factors that explain why groundwater can be over-exploited despite the existence of sophisticated water laws, institutions and effective state agencies responsible for water management. The analysis is based on a case study conducted in the Copiapó Valley in northern Chile.

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Why is it important?

The article highlights the state’s failure to perform some of its key missions and the ineffectiveness of groundwater users’ associations in water management despite a very supportive legal framework. Examination of the Copiapó Valley case has shown that even in a developed country like Chile (Chile’s per capita income has passed the threshold defined by the World Bank for high-income or developed economies), with highly sophisticated water legislation, the state and water user associations were not in a position to apply an effective management model based on the granting of individual permits.

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