Chile is a privileged country in terms of water resources, with an average annual runoff of approximately 50,000 m3/person. However, water availability varies enormously in space, as less than 1,000 m3/person are available for more than 50% of the population. The temporal and spatial distribution of water resources is driven by processes highly variables across a country with different climates explained not only by a large range of latitudes (from 17° to 56° south), but also the presence of the Pacific Ocean and the Andes with peaks up to 7000 m. This geography makes of Chile a true natural laboratory in which water is essential for the society and the economy of the country. The relevance of water resources for the country has become even more significant in the context of a mega-drought that has affected practically the entire territory in recent years, although large floods such as those in Atacama 2015 and 2017 also take place periodically. This unique book brings together the state-of-art knowledge about the hydrology of Chile and its water resources, with a particular focus on quantitative aspects. The chapters are prepared by many of the most relevant researchers and practitioners working in water resources in the country. High-quality research contributions on climate and meteorology, surface and subsurface hydrology, water quality, water monitoring, water resource and global change, among other issues, are presented in this unique book, which offers a useful guide for academicians, researchers, practitioners and managers dealing with diverse water-related issues in Chile and other regions with similar characteristics

This book offers a detailed examination of the main sources of Chile’s water, its principle consumers, the gap between supply and demand, hydrological droughts, and future projected impacts of climate change. It describes, analyzes and evaluates the performance of water policies, laws and institutions, identifies the main challenges that Chile needs to face and derives lessons learnt from Chile’s reform experience. Expert contributors discuss such topics as Chile’s water policy, and the reasoning which explains its policy reform. The book presents and evaluates the performance of the legal and institutional framework of water resources. It also describes efforts to meet actual demands for water by augmenting supplies with groundwater management, waste water re-use and desalination and improve the state of water ecosystems. The last chapter presents the editor’s assessment and conclusions. The case of Chile is illustrative of a transition from command and control to market based management policies, where economic incentives play a significant role in water management.

World Bank Technical Paper No. 315. Focuses on water allocation problems and the performance of water markets in improving allocation. By examining specific case studies in Chile, it demonstrates that water can no longer be treated as a free good and that better ways must be found to improve its allocation and use. The findings suggest that market transfer of water use rights in the study area produce economic gains both in intersectoral trade and trade among farmers and create rents for buyers and sellers.

Reviews labor market outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and analyzes what is required to spur economic growth through increased efficiency of physical and human capital. World Development Report 1995: Workers in an Integrating World examines ways of improving labor outcomes in low- and middle-income economies. This regional perspective focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa in relation to the four areas in need of labor policy reform that were identified in the Report: development strategy, international integration, labor market interventions, and transformation to greater market orientation. The paper reviews labor market outcomes in the region and analyzes what is required to achieve economic growth through increased efficiency of physical and human capital. It examines Africa's role in the world economy and why greater integration is essential to the region. It also discusses labor policies and how workers in the region are affected by the transition to open development strategies. The prospects for the region's growing labor force are briefly reviewed.

The book presents detailed case studies examining the Rhône Basin in the Canton Valais, Switzerland and the Aconcagua Basin in Valparaiso, Chile. In order to understand and assess the interplay of complex and interlinked environmental and socio-economic issues, the author looks beyond the technology, modelling, engineering and infrastructure associated with water resources management and climate change adaptation, to assess the decision-making environment within which water and adaptation policy and practices are devised and executed.