The Resilient Cities Office of the Metropolitan Regional Government of Chile and the Latin America Project at NRDC present a four-part webinar series titled “The U.S.–Chile Water Exchange: Shared Water Management Experiences and Solutions.” The goal of the series is to provide a platform for experts to contribute best practices and lessons learned about water management from the United States and Chile.
Despite the distance that separates the two countries, the United States, particularly the West Coast region, shares many parallels with Chile in geography, ecosystems, and natural resources. They also share similar water challenges, including prolonged droughts, destructive storms and floods, conflict among water users, and a lack of transparency around data management. Through these bilingual webinars—which will cover topics like green infrastructure, agriculture, and climate resilience—we hope to accelerate solutions that promote safe water access for people and ecosystems in both hemispheres.
Part 1. Building Resilience Against Drought: The California Experience
This segment provides a brief overview of water scarcity in the Metropolitan Region in Chile and an in-depth look at best practices and lessons learned from California’s drought response.
Speakers
Andrea Becerra, water policy analyst with the Latin America project at NRDC
Ulrike Broschek, deputy general manager for sustainability at Fundación Chile and head of Escenarios Hídricos
Cristina Huidobro, deputy chief resilience officer for the Metropolitan Regional Government of Chile
Tracy Quinn, California director of water conservation and efficiency at NRDC
View the presentation PDF here.
Part 2. Water-Smart Agriculture in the Context of Climate Insecurity
This second segment provides a brief overview of the best practices and lessons learned in California's agriculture sector, a case study of a livestock specialist who improved his water efficiency in Montana, and an in-depth discussion of the Chilean context.
Speakers
Presentations
Andrea Becerra, water policy analyst with the Latin America project at NRDC
Claire O’Connor, director for water & agriculture at NRDC
Guillermo Donoso Harris, professor at the Center of Water Management and Rights at the Pontifical Catholic University
Cristina Huidobro, deputy chief resilience officer for the Metropolitan Regional Government of Chile
David M. Scott, rancher and livestock specialist at NCAT
Panel Discussion
Ulrike Broschek, deputy general manager for sustainability at Fundación Chile and head of Escenarios Hídricos
Jorge Marín Alfaro, chief of staff of the executive secretary for the National Irrigation Commission (CNR)
José Miguel Morán, general manager of the Association of Irrigation and Drainage (Asociación Gremial de Riego y Drenaje)
Ernesto Ríos, regional director of the Metropolitan Region General Water Directorate (DGA)
Guillermo Donoso Harris (moderator), professor at the Center of Water Management and Rights at the Pontifical Catholic University
View the presentation PDF here.
Part 3. Implementing Water-Efficient Codes and Standards – COMING SOON