WC136 MayJune 2024 - Magazine - Page 37
Coastal wind turbines
at the oceanic windmill
Middelgrunden,
situated just outside
Copenhagen. These
iconic turbines, which
can be seen from
most places within
this capital city, are
a symbol of a future
with green cities and
sustainable energy.
the needs of shareholders and global bankability are
prioritized, the morally “right” choices don’t get made
because the damages are not explicit. They are inferred because they take place away from boardrooms
and balance sheets. What is needed are policy decisions made by stakeholders who are focused on what
is best for the community that both business and
people belong to. It has to be a balanced approach
that recognizes that water is needed for economic
growth and thriving communities.
Reconciling economic priorities with the imperative
to address climate change
The situation in Chile provides a clear picture of the
tug-of-war between powerful actors and vulnerable
communities. Chile has South America’s largest
economy by per-capita GDP. This economic growth
has been built on water-intensive industries, mostly
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
mining, forestry, and agriculture. But Chile is the
only country in the world with a constitution that
treats water rights as private property. The result is
that almost 60 per cent of the country’s water resources
are dedicated to forestry, and another 37 per cent goes
to agricultural sector, leaving a meagre two per cent
for human consumption. While rural communities
across the country rely on emergency tankers to
deliver them drinking water, 90 per cent of Chile’s
freshwater is controlled by private industry, according
to Geneva Solutions, an independent non-profit
news platform. The devastating wildfires that have
been sweeping across central Chile recently are a stark
reminder of not only the worst drought the country
has suffered through in its history, but also how much
climate change and economic activities like the hugely
lucrative avocado industry have been soaking up rivers
and watersheds.
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