The Santiago-Maipo Water Fund was launched on October 15th in Santigo de Chile during a press-conference led by the Mayor of Santiago, TNC and IDB, both partners of the Latin American Water Funds Partnership. This Water Fund has the commitment of the Association of Rural Municipalities (AMUR), Aguas Andinas, Nestlé, the NGO Adapt Chile, Anglo American, National Federation of Health Services Cooperatives (FESAN) and the Confederation of Canalistas de Chile. There are also some collaborative projects that add to this effort with Conaf, Fundación Cultiva and Coca-Cola de Chile.
With an area exceeding 15 thousand square kilometers, the Maipo River basin supplies water to more than one third of the Chilean population, a resource that is also used for different productive activities. Today there are threats to water security in the region due to various problems associated with inefficient use and the effects of climate change. For example, rainfall has decreased by 30% in the last 20 years, so - together with the retreat of some glaciers - a 40% reduction in its flow is projected for the year 2050. All this made it necessary to create an initiative such as the Water Fund which seeks to protect and guarantee water for the region.
