Water: a vital necessity. An available resource. An uncommon luxury?
Think about the nearest water source. Most likely it's only a few steps away, easily accessible and drinkable. But what if it wasn't? What if water were only available to those who put in the effort to get it?
Senior political science major Alex Brechbill recognized the luxury of fresh, available water while on a NWU service trip to Kumaica, Nicaragua last year. There, villagers primarily utilized and drank unclean water since it was readily accessible. Intrigued by the social and environmental impacts of the country's water availability and management, Brechbill sought to further investigate these issues elsewhere.
In Chile water is sparse, only bought and sold through private markets as a good—largely uninfluenced by the nation's government. Upon learning of the country's unique water situation, Brechbill turned to Assistant Professor of Political Science Kelly Bauer with further questions.
"As a long, thin country with one of the driest deserts, Chile has to carefully manage its water resources," said Bauer. "Because it is such a unique and extreme system, Chile is a really important case to understand."
After becoming increasingly interested in the water rights of the South American country, Brechbill proposed diving further into Chile's water system, utilizing NWU's Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant. Together Bauer and Brechbill dove straight into researching Chile; analyzing the country's literature, staying updated on local events, and connecting with water management experts Maude Barlow who spoke about water rights at a university symposium.
After eight months of preparatory research, the duo left for Chile.
For three weeks Bauer and Brechbill examined Chile's water management system and uncovered the varying effects water privatization has on the country’s people. They met with local and federal government officials, non-governmental organizations and water sanitation experts as they traveled between cities Copiapo, La Serena, and Santiago.
They quickly learned no two places were alike.
"It was interesting to see how La Serena and Copiapo differed in water resource management," said Brechbill. "Copiapo was an incredibly useful town to study because of the high competition for water resources, considering it is one of the driest places in the world."
Copiapo receives less than an inch of annual rainfall. Demand from agriculture and mining contribute to competition for the resource, they learned.
In comparison, water management is not nearly as aggressive in La Serena, as the city receives nearly four inches of annual precipitation. La Serena has little demand for water in mining, leaving the resource more available for agriculture and other uses.
No matter the city, however, the water rights usage remains in a free market. Chile's Water Code of 1981 classifies water as a private good, available to buy and sell like property among individual consumers.
Once water is purchased, only the new owner holds the rights to the resource, free to determine how it is used.
In 2005, a reform of the Water Code was passed to provide more leniency and government intervention in situations deemed necessary, such as extreme trade competition and outright withholding of water when a dire need exists. Though Chile's government does not hold complete control over its country's water rights, officials now have the authority to further aid the public in water management.
Currently, the Chilean government supports the restoration of a portion of the country's canal system, and is funding several small projects including rain catching systems and drip irrigation. Water management in Chile appears to have improved with governmental aid, said Brechbill, but not everyone is satisfied.
Researching Chile's water management system and observing its effects have heightened Brechbill's interest in foreign water policy. He hopes to eventually research water management in Syria and Australia. Following his graduation in May, Brechbill plans to pursue a master's degree in public policy, specializing in natural resource management with the aspiration to eventually write environmental protection legislation for the federal government.
“The Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant gave Alex invaluable insight not only into the situation in Chile, but also into the nuances of doing field research,” said Bauer. “It stretched both of us to think more critically about water policy, but also about our professional development.”
"I truly believe that every student at Nebraska Wesleyan University has a unique skillset to be able to successfully carry out a student-faculty collaborative research grant," Brechbill added. "It’s an incredible way to see the world through a new lens."
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Story by Quinn Hullett, public relations intern