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A view of the Longo Reservoir in the town of Longo, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Santiago, on February 3, 2012. Image credit: Reuters/Ivan Alvarado
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday that with no end in sight to the drought that has plagued Chile over the past few years, the government will invest in desalination plants and reservoirs to ensure access to drinking water.
The drought, which began in 2007, has hampered copper production in the world’s largest exporter, intensified forest fires, pushed up energy prices and affected agriculture.
In the normally lush south, January was one of the driest months on record, with no rain in many places. In the country’s north, home to the Atacama Desert, already the world’s driest, climatologists worry desertification will spread.
Scientists say droughts have been on a long-term trend of intensifying, which is linked to climate change.
“Faced with this critical situation, we have no choice but to acknowledge that water scarcity is a persistent reality that threatens development in vital parts of our country,” Bachelet said in a televised address.
She said about $170 million would be invested in 2015 to access groundwater sources, build and upgrade canals, and improve irrigation systems.
Read the full article: Reuters
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