Australia, Chile grapple with water shortages amid climate change

Water scarcity and mismanagement are becoming increasingly critical issues worldwide, exacerbated by climate change and unpredictable weather patterns.

Water thieves strike under cover of night, arriving in trucks to siphon water from irrigation canals before driving off, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

This theft enrages Alejandro Meneses, a large vegetable farmer in Coquimbo, Chile, a region suffering from severe drought. Although he is entitled to 40 liters per second of river water for his fields, the reality is he can only access a fraction of that amount due to the drought and theft, forcing him to negotiate water access with his neighbors. If the rising cost of food results from insufficient crops, he warns of potential social issues.

Charlie Iceland of the World Resources Institute (WRI) captures the global water crisis with the phrase: "too little, too much, too dirty." Climate change is expected to exacerbate these problems. Currently, around half of the global population experiences "highly water-stressed conditions" for at least one month each year, according to WRI. Addressing these challenges will demand not only technological advancements but also political shifts.

Collaboration among villages, regions, and nations will be crucial for sharing limited water resources and constructing flood defenses. Balancing the needs of farmers—who consume 70 per cent of the world's freshwater—with those of urban residents and industries requires a politics of trust, compromise, and strategic planning. However, the rise of populist rhetoric, which often fuels anger, distrust of science, and skepticism of climate policies, complicates these efforts. A global study by Jens Marquardt and Markus Lederer from the University of Darmstadt highlights how populists undermine trust in science and portray climate initiatives as elitist agendas.

Approximately 97 per cent of Earth's water is saltwater in the oceans, leaving just 3 per cent for life on land, in lakes, and in rivers. While the total volume of water on Earth remains constant, the processes that move it around are complex and dynamic. The water cycle involves numerous intricate, non-linear processes occurring across various timescales and regions, all driven by solar energy. This energy causes seawater to evaporate, plants to transpire, and, by unevenly heating the tropics, powers ocean currents and weather systems. Global warming disrupts these processes, intensifying the water cycle and making both heavy rainfall and severe droughts more frequent. Warmer air can hold more moisture, which increases evaporation from warmer oceans and leads to more precipitation.

This results in heavier rainfall in wet regions and leaves less moisture for drier areas, where the "thirsty" air is more likely to draw moisture from the soil, worsening drought conditions. According to the UN, between 2002 and 2021, flooding impacted around 1.6 billion people, resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths, and caused economic losses exceeding $830 billion. During the same period, droughts affected 1.4 billion people, caused over 20,000 deaths, and led to $170 billion in damages. The availability of freshwater per person is declining and is projected to decrease rapidly in Africa in the coming decades. In Chile, the problem of insufficient water is escalating into a crisis, with the country being the most water-stressed in South America. Public-works minister Jessica López warns that while Santiago is managing now, the situation could worsen significantly in the next decade.

Historically, Chileans accessed water by taking it from streams, rivers, or by drilling wells. However, as water sources dry up, regulations from wetter times are proving outdated. Political polarization and recent large-scale protests complicate efforts to update these rules. Conservative administrations granted extensive "water rights" to landowners, allowing them to extract large amounts of water indefinitely and at no cost. Today, the total amount of granted water rights far exceeds sustainable extraction levels. Farmers like Alejandro Meneses must negotiate water use with local associations, but some individuals circumvent these agreements with illegal boreholes, causing tension among farmers and villagers. Erica Díaz, a struggling villager, highlights the issue: “We’re surrounded by farms with illegal wells, and that’s why we have no water.” For conservative Chilean landowners, "water rights" are seen as a natural extension of property rights. However, unlike land, water usage impacts everyone, making the practice of granting perpetual water rights problematic.

Meanwhile, Chile's left-leaning factions advocate that water is a fundamental human right. A draft constitution proposed by the current government, but ultimately rejected by voters in 2022, mentioned “water” 71 times, asserting everyone's right to it, particularly the poor and indigenous populations, but offered little detail on how this right would be implemented. The complexities of water politics are evident at a meeting of small farmers in Punitaqui, a town in northern Chile. While there is a consensus that water is scarce, opinions diverge on the causes. Some farmers accuse large corporations of monopolizing water resources, while others point to widespread illegal activities, such as a water inspector receiving death threats.

An expert demonstrates how to use ultrasound technology to detect leaks, which are common. Yet, many farmers admit they lack knowledge about the location of their local water pipes. Chile technically has ample water resources due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. However, obtaining a permit to build a desalination plant can take over a decade, as the challenges are more political than technical. Securing the right to use a small section of the coastline requires approval from the Ministry of Defense, which can take three to four years. 

Additionally, the Archaeological Monuments Council needs assurances that no culturally significant sites will be harmed, adding another three to four years. Transporting water also involves navigating a bureaucratic labyrinth. Ulrike Broschek of Fundación Chile, a think tank, argues that Chile needs a more logical approach to water management. While desalination can be effective, it is not climate-friendly unless powered by renewable energy. Global emissions from desalination could equal those of Britain by 2025.

In Chile, greater and more cost-effective improvements could be made. Agriculture, which uses 80 per cent of the country’s water, could adopt more efficient techniques like drip irrigation and hydroponics. Charging farmers directly for water could encourage more efficient usage. Cities could replace impermeable surfaces with “rain gardens” to capture rainwater and replenish groundwater. The regulatory framework also needs simplification, as 56 different public bodies currently oversee water management without a central coordinator, Broschek notes. 

Jessica López, the public works minister, offers a pragmatic outlook. She promises that pending legislation will streamline the permitting process for desalination projects, and additional water infrastructure will be developed. More broadly, she believes that water should be appropriately priced. Globally, effective water pricing is rare but crucial. Even in places where it has proven successful, it remains politically contentious.

In Australia, another drought-prone country, federal and state governments reached an agreement in 2012 to conserve water in the Murray-Darling Basin, the country's largest river system. This agreement relied on a system allowing farmers to buy and sell water entitlements, aiming to save 3,200 gigalitres (gl) by 2024 through either "buying back" entitlements or investing in water-saving projects like efficient irrigation. Australia has conserved about 2,130gl of water, more than 20 per cent of previous consumption levels, while agricultural output has increased. 

This progress is supported by substantial government investment of A$13 billion ($8.8 billion) and advanced water usage measurement systems. For example, dairy farmer Malcolm Holm can order water online to irrigate his pastures, with sensors regulating the flow and gates managing the water distribution to his fields, sustaining his herd of 1,200 cattle. Despite these achievements, discontent persists. Environmentalists argue that the targets are too conservative, while farmers complain they are overly restrictive.

Although no farmer is forced to sell water to the government, many do, reducing the overall amount available for irrigation, which has driven up water prices over the past decade. This is intended to promote conservation but also threatens rural livelihoods, sparking protests in rural New South Wales. Linda Fawns, a local councillor, laments that community institutions like preschools and sports clubs are struggling due to declining populations. Jamie Tasker, an agricultural mechanic, accuses the government of "scaremongering" about environmental issues to win urban votes. 

Nearly 90 per cent of Australians live in cities, and politicians are keen to avoid urban water shortages. However, political priorities shift with changing governments. The conservative Liberal Party, which is more aligned with farmers and less proactive on climate issues, halted water buybacks. The Labor Party, in power federally since 2022, has resumed them. Accusations of water theft are also common.

Last year, a farmer was fined only A$150,000 for illegally extracting groundwater worth over A$1.1 million. "Theft is a business model, because fines don’t fit the crime," complains Robert McBride, a sheep station owner in the outback. The Murray-Darling Basin plan is up for review in 2026. As droughts worsen, the government may need to buy back more water, increasing prices and forcing less water-efficient farms to shut down, though they are unlikely to do so without resistance. From conflict to compromise If water politics can be sensitive in relatively wealthy and stable countries like Australia and Chile, it becomes even more volatile in poorer nations. 

Climate change appears to be making weather patterns more unpredictable in many of these regions, partly by amplifying the fluctuations associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, a global phenomenon that influences monsoons and their rainfall. In Kenya, for instance, the floods in April and May were the worst in living memory, destroying bridges, schools, and railways and resulting in the deaths of approximately 300 people.

The government was unprepared for the disaster, following years of drought, says Kennedy Odede of SHOFCO, a charity operating in Nairobi’s slums. “When it started raining, people were happy. Nobody was expecting there to be too much,” he adds. The government should have been better prepared. Extended periods of drought can set the stage for flooding, as hardened soil prevents water from being absorbed, causing it to flow across the land. Kenya's populist president, William Ruto, dismissed warnings last year about the likelihood of flooding.