Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for addressing water scarcity in the Mediterranean Ecoregion of Chile

Abstract

Natural-based Solutions (NbS) allow us to face socio-environmental challenges and risks through the protection, restoration and sustainable management of ecosystems, providing human well-being and increasing biodiversity. In the last decade, the Mediterranean Ecoregion of Chile (EMC, 29-37oS) has experienced a continuous drought and numerous water conflicts associated with the development of industrial activities in areas that provide ecosystem services of water supply and regulation. In this context, the use of NBS in water scarcity conflicts in the CME was evaluated as a way to support the design of public policies that incorporate this approach. For this, conflicts associated with water scarcity in the CME were collected and NBS were identified to face similar conflicts in other regions of the world. Three categories of NBS were identified: (i) watershed restoration and green infrastructure, (ii) ancestral and natural infrastructure, and (iii) integrated agricultural practices. This analysis indicates that the simultaneous use of these three strategies can contribute to the resolution of water conflicts in CME. NBS are projected as an efficient and integrating option to face the problems of water scarcity, since they are considered within national policies and designed according to the environmental conditions and social context of each sector in conflict.