Persistent drought is drying out Chile's drinking water

A tree lies on the cracked bed of the dried Cogoti reservoir, as water levels in the zone dropped to record lows, ahead of World Water Day at La Ligua area, in Coquimbo, Chile March 14, 2024.
PHOTO: Reuters file

PUBLISHED ON
MARCH 20, 2024 10:29 PM

SANTIAGO — After 15 years of a devastating drought, reservoirs in Chile are running dry, imperilling access to drinking water in the Andean nation.

The Cogoti reservoir in the Coquimbo region of northern Chile, a basin with a capacity of 150 million cubic has completely depleted as the southern Hemisphere summer comes to an end.

"The water situation is critical, I hope God remembers the rural poor and farmers," said Heriberto Perez, a local resident who raises livestock in the region and worries about how little water there is for his animals.

"We're all human beings and we have to have a little bit of water, right?"

The historic drought has impacted nearly ever aspect of life in the copper-rich nation, affecting everything from mining output to green areas in the capital.

More:
https://www.asiaone.com/world/persistent-drought-drying-out-chiles-drinking-water