Dawson Frost – Undergraduate – Environmental Science & Political Science
Glacial Retreat and Inequality in Peru
Glacial retreat due to anthropogenic climate change is altering water resources in the Peruvian Andes. However, the consequences reverberate beyond the mountain communities who may come to mind when thinking about this region. Glacial retreat has increased the variability of runoff in glacier-fed lakes, rivers, and upstream tributaries. Increased runoff during periods of rapid melt has resulted in flooding, while the decline of glaciers has led to periods of lower than average flows and diminished water resources. All of this is happening during a period of increased competition among water users as Peru faces several other challenges to its water resources including population growth, a decline in water quality, the implementation of new water rules, and the expansion of water-intensive sectors of the economy. These many changes are having dramatic impacts on social dynamics within Peru. Existing conflicts between traditional water allocation systems that have been practiced for centuries and relatively recent drives to privatize and relegate the management of water resources to the realm of experts have only been exacerbated. Additionally, new problems between upstream and downstream users with the introduction of new infrastructure regimes have reinforced old inequalities. Efforts to address these conflicts and plan for a future with less runoff from glacial melt have had mixed success and continue to exclude the voices of the most marginalized. This paper seeks to explore these growing divides and examine how glacial retreat has exacerbated existing inequalities in Peru.
Eric Kregel – Undergraduate – Geography
Rising Tide: Social Conflicts Between Mines and Rural Communities in Peru Over Impacts on Local Water Resources
Since the early 2000s, spurred by foreign investments, the country of Peru has been hit by a large mining boom that has seen it to become of the largest sources of income for the country. Much of the mines in Peru that have been established since the boom began are situated near rural communities where most of the mineral deposits are. The ensuing interaction between the mining companies and rural communities have seen an increased level of tension and conflict as local water resources are impacted by use for the mining operations. This paper seeks to answer how do impacts on water resources cause social conflicts between mining operations and rural communities as the ability to understand the causes will allow people to find ways to reconcile the different uses of water so that local water resources are equitably accessible to all water uses. Peru stands as a one of the largest producers of minerals in Latin America and the implementation of water use reconciliation will allow for more mineral-rich countries to better reduce the amount of social conflicts that may arise as a result of mining. To understand the causes of social conflicts between rural communities and mines, I will analyze two case studies of rural communities having their water resources being impacted by mining operations and the ensuing social conflicts that arise from it.
Kate Miller- Undergraduate - Environmental Science
Understanding Mexico City Water Scarcity Risks to Frame Current and Future Solutions
As one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world, Mexico City suffers from many water-related issues, and will be at further risk with its growing population and changing climate. Mexico City is the cultural, economic, and industrial center of the nation, making it essential to maintain the habitability of the area. With limited water sources, unique geographic location, mixed geologic formation, and inefficient infrastructure of water networks, the area is extremely vulnerable to drought, subsidence, floods, earthquakes, and drinking water limitations. As climate change causes increasing temperatures and more intense and frequent rainfall, there will be even more danger to the area’s already vulnerable landscape. In this paper I ask, why, where, and when has Mexico City experienced these water-related risks? What are the implications of this history in addressing current and future situations? Gathering data from remotely sensing imagery and various journal sources, I analyze the temporal and spatial distribution of drought, floods, subsidence, earthquakes, drinking water limitations, and their connections, as well as how they affect the past, current, and proposed solutions to water scarcity. With such a complex landscape, many risks are interwoven, making it possible for solutions to be targeted together. It is important to understand the vulnerability, causes, locations, and time periods of these risks in order to analyze past success and failures in mitigation efforts, as well as implement future management solutions.
Nour Sarsangi – Undergraduate - Neuroscience & Geography
Irrigation Systems and the Dynamics of Water Conflicts in the Sahel: A Case Study from Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa that faces one of the biggest water crises in the Sahel. Receiving less than 60 centimeters of rainfall per year in the 274,000 square kilometers region, water management in Burkina Faso has been a crucial challenge. Conflicts have arisen due to chronic water scarcity, legal pluralism, and competing uses and claims on the limited quantity of water. Land scarcity along with scarce water sources have caused irrigation systems to become major areas of struggle and conflict in the region. This poster focuses on the Bagre irrigation system, a gravity-fed irrigation system located on the Nakambe River in south-eastern Burkina Faso that is home to the Bagre dam, Burkina Faso’s largest hydropower facility. This poster offers insight on the reasons for, and the resolution of, conflicts around the management of water in the Bagre irrigation system. Understanding how water-related conflicts emerge, evolve, and are regulated within an irrigation landscape is very important to the well-being of the citizens and the future of Burkina Faso because irrigation is at the cornerstone of the countries development.
Zach Williams - Undergraduate - Forest Ecology & Management, Environmental Science
Examining Government Influence on Hydrosocial Relationships in Nepal
Nepal is a country of many convergences: the convergence of mountains, basins, social structures, and governmental influence. The spatial distribution of water and its scarcity deeply influence the hydrosocial relations between water and local communities. This effect is present not just in the upper reaches of the Himalaya, but also in urban areas as well. In the high-elevation Mustang district, a long history of indigenous knowledge has guided water management. Traditional knowledge guides resource allocation and is a driver of social relationships including gender roles. Over time, though, climate has changed, new social structures have formed, and outside influences including the Nepalese government have altered local hydrosocialities. In Kathmandu, the legal abolition of the caste system has not significantly improved the lives of Dalits, and governmental influence has altered water security for this group. However, the response to regional issues, including flooding, exemplify the benefit of government intervention into water issues. The increased influence of the government has had mixed effects due to its outside perspective and emphasis on scientific management. This paper seeks to explore the impact governmental influence has had on water hydrosocialities in Nepal, from three different perspectives: the rural Mustang district, urban Kathmandu dalits, and from a larger-scale look at regional issues including flooding.