CHILE

An alarming future

An episode from the series FACING CLIMATE

Synopsis

For over a decade, Chile has been hit by what scientists are now calling a "mega-drought".

In the province of Petorca, the river la Ligua has dried up, and inhabitants are reduced to collecting mist for their drinking water. In Punitaqui, over 50% of livestock died last year. Some farmers are forced to travel 850km to save their herds. Lake Aculeo, on the outskirts of Santiago, once a magnet for holidaymakers, is now a vast expanse of cracked earth.

In response to the emergency, the government has set up a rationing plan with a gradual system of restrictions, and scientists are looking for solutions to alleviate the water shortage.