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Drought Latin America

Addressing Water Stress in LAC

Khaleb Hernandez

Addressing Water Stress in LAC

With population growth booming, industrial needs and agricultural expansion have only matched the increasing rates. The water demand has doubled since 1960, while Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have increased in numbers- the amount of growth is suggested to extend 43% by 2050, which contributes to the global average growth of 20-25%.

For the past few years, researchers have studied intense droughts that affect several different countries in the LAC region. In 2023, Mexico was seen as the country with the driest year, where the droughts had impacted 55% of the region. Later, Uruguay urged the government to declare a water emergency because of the low water storage, which was dangerously low-  devastating about 60% of the population from its water resources. Simultaneously, Chile and cities like Bogota and Mexico City were threatened by permanent water depletion. 

Water stress is characterized by the relationship with water demand and the supply in the area. Depending on the water demand for domestic, agricultural, or industrial combined with the supply of renewable sources (rivers or groundwater), the higher the stress the country might experience. This would lead to more vulnerability and scarcity in the region, making competition amongst communities stronger for water access. 

A new source of data known as #GraphForThought uses information from the World Resources Institute to predict levels of water stress in LAC, which takes into consideration the current climate change scenarios and increasing temperatures around the globe. Due to climate change having a negative impact on water supply, research shows water stress concerning diverse temperature increase scenarios, that can range from positive to  negative outcomes.

 

 

 

 

Something known as a “Business as Usual” scenario, not using intense climate change mitigation efforts, includes that half of the region’s countries will encounter a medium amount of water stress by 2080. To go deeper into detail, 29% of the region will encounter medium to high stress, and 16% will experience extreme stress. Preventing further temperature increases can mitigate the Earth’s situation from becoming a point of emergency.

Consequences of water stress are maintained at the same level across countries, but the impacts really depend on each region. The droughts that occur are capable of worsening inequalities that are related to water access, as seen as #GraphForThought. Impacts from water stress will spread past environmental concerns that affect health and livelihoods. Water scarcity can lead to ingestion of contaminated water and poor sanitation, while also impacting land yields in decline. Between 1970 and 2019, South America lost around $28 billion because of droughts, while in 2023 losses of crops went from 30 to 80 percent in Peru. Unpredicted droughts have been known to disrupt vessel traffic going on through the Panama Canal, that took a direct hit on the country’s GDP and a huge portion of global maritime trade. 

While we don’t think about it, water has a huge impact on energy. For the last two decades, over half of the LAC’s energy has been sourced from hydroelectric power generators, which is a system that has been increasing. However, water stress makes this energy source less reliable and leads to rationing electricity due to the insufficient rainfall.

The water situation in LAC has other things added to the problem besides water stress. Weather forecasts have shown countries will experience lower precipitation levels, while other countries can experience rainy seasons for a shorter period of time. Aquifers and landscapes are unable to absorb water of this extremity, which can only cause runoff and prolonged droughts. So, strategic planning and investment to manage water during the wet and dry periods can mitigate effects of climate change by adjusting pressure on the resources they currently use.

The Latin American and Caribbean region has a variety of sources of water, but continues to become more adaptable to solutions to reduce the water stress. Making water governance and management a top priority for these countries will only encourage resilience against climate-related shocks. Cities similar to Singapore and Las Vegas show us how communities can survive exceptionally well with replacing things like water-intensive grass, more desalination, and upgrading wastewater treatment and reuse. Government commitment and financial support are critical for countries to avoid any crisis with water stress from evolving into a full-fledged water crisis. 

 

Khaleb Hernandez | Environmental Correspondent

Hello everyone! I am currently a senior studying Environmental Science and Policy in Tampa, Florida. Before I moved to the United States, I was raised in Guatemala City- where I was exposd to an abundance of environmental injustices and experiences. With my mother being from Colombia, I’ve traveled to various places around Central and South America to realize there are many topics not being addressed for the well-being of smaller communities, mostly indigenous or communities living under the poverty line. Hearing people’s stories inspired me to dig deeper into how these communities have adapted to their way of living, including lacking the basic resources we have access to in our daily lives. With Latina Republic, I aspire to share their stories and bring awareness to their unique circumstances, including giving them the attention they need in all forms. I am confident sharing stories will attract a greener future and more opportunities to guide the right people into improving the ways of living in Central and South America.

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