(4)Lessons from a Pioneer Participatory Water Monitoring Program: Building Local Governance Collaboratively

摘要

Large-scale mining has been one of the industries that have driven Chile's economic development in recent decades. Mining expansion, however, has brought with it significant environmental, social, cultural and economic impacts for the country and its communities, especially those located in the areas of influence of mining operations. One of the industry's most emblematic impacts is tailings, which emerge as an unavoidable consequence of this extractive activity. Mining companies have developed sophisticated community engagement strategies to inform local citizens about the scope of their operations. Local communities, in turn, have manifested their need to understand the impacts that mining activities in general, and tailings in particular, may have on their land, health, livelihoods and natural resources. One of their main demands is to have access to reliable and factual information about impacts on water quantity and quality. Given this situation, it is imperative to create spaces and mechanisms that allow for integral and collaborative resource management, such that communities, companies and local governments can work together to build governance systems based on participation and a rights-based approach. This paper aims to present lessons learned from a pioneer experience with a participatory water monitoring program that was developed in Alhué, where the tailings of National Copper Corporation of Chile's (CODELCO)El Teniente Division are deposited. The lessons presented here were constructed in a participatory way together with the community and the company, in accordance with the spirit of the program that was implemented.