"The highlands are the sustenance of life, and all that water comes down from the mountains to the valleys, such as Azapa and Lluta and to the coast. The city of Arica is on the coast. So, we have a very serious problem. We will not have water—not for agriculture, not for livestock, not for tourism."
"The mining business in Chile is good for very few people. The rest fall into absolute misery."
"Jose Antonio Kast won Chile's recent polls on promises of greater security and a pro-business platform under the slogan fewer permits, more investment. It was a swipe at what he considers the excessive bureaucracy of environmental permits, which he believes harms economic growth."
In Chile's northernmost Arica y Parinacota region, increased mining activity near environmentally protected areas like Lauca national park threatens the local economy and water supply. Andrea Chellew, a cafe owner and regional councillor, warns that mining expansion endangers water resources flowing from the Andean highlands to valleys and coastal areas, affecting agriculture, livestock, and tourism. President Jose Antonio Kast's pro-business platform prioritizes fewer environmental permits and increased investment, winning over 62% of regional votes. Environmental activists and Indigenous communities express concern about reduced protections for conservation, Indigenous rights, and water access under Kast's administration, which succeeds the leftist, pro-environment Gabriel Boric.
#mining-and-environmental-protection #water-resources-and-climate #indigenous-rights #political-policy-shift #regional-economic-impact
Read at www.theguardian.com
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