An Adaptive Basin Management Rule to Improve Water Management and Reduce Conflicts

Due to population growth and expansion in the agricultural and industrial sectors, the demand for water has increased. However, water availability in some regions has decreased due to climate change trends and variability, necessitating adaptation in water allocation to avoid/reduce conflicts among users in of a water resources system. This paper presents hydrological modeling approach to evaluate the resilience capacity of a new water management rule in the Laja Lake basin in south-central Chile. Resilience assessments included absorptive and adaptive capacities with four system states: resilient, susceptible, resistant, and vulnerable. A modeling approach considering the climate variability uncertainty of the Laja system was used. Characterization of adaptive and absorptive capacities showed that the Laja Lake basin moved from resistant to vulnerable stage. Hydrological modeling analyses showed that after a new water allocation agreement, the Laja Lake system is moving from vulnerable to susceptible, since the new rule has more adaptive alternatives depending on climate variability. The new rule diminishes the possibilities of conflicts among users, ensuring the fulfillment of water needs for uses such as farming and ecosystem services such as landscaping, and allows for increased water allocation for energy in wet hydrological years.