The Political Ecology of Water Governance and Migration in Chile

Bibliographic Data

ID17723940
AuthorsGiulia Repetti (University of Hull, corresponding author)
Year2026
Issue66
Pages1-23
Publication date2026-02-23
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMigraciones Publicación del Instituto Universitario de Estudios sobre Migraciones (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1138-5774 • E-ISSN: 2341-0833
PublisherUniversidad Pontificia Comillas (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.14422/mig.23375.007
OpenAlexW7131111195
LanguageEN
References cited48

Rural communities in north-central Chile have faced decades-long conflicts over water resources. Although local socio-environmental dynamics have received considerable attention, the related mobility patterns remain underexplored. This study examines the relationship between drought conditions, water governance arrangements, and internal migration flows to and from the province of Petorca. A mixed-methods approach is employed, integrating long-term precipitation anomalies based on Standardised Precipitation Indices (1983-2019), census-based net migration data (1982-2017), and eight semi-structured interviews with local activists, policymakers, and water management experts. Quantitative findings indicate that intensified drought does not lead to increased out-migration; rather, a negative correlation exists between drought and net migration in the province. Interview data highlight the roles of systemic constraints and place attachment in shaping (im)mobility among rural communities, as well as the influx of external actors associated with agribusiness expansion. The study demonstrates how socio-environmental changes, power inequalities, and resource governance influence mobility outcomes in water-stressed regions

Agribusiness · Corporate governance · Internal migration · Political ecology · Power (physics) · Precipitation · Resource (disambiguation) · Water resources · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration · Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond · Water Governance and Infrastructure

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