water Article The Legal Geographies of Water Claims: Seawater Desalination in Mining Regions in Chile Cecilia Campero 1,* and Leila M. Harris 2 1 School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada 2 Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, and Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 18 December 2018; Accepted: 23 April 2019; Published: 27 April 2019 Abstract: The use of desalination has been increasing in recent years. Although this is not a new technology, its use often proceeds within ill-defined and ambiguous legal, institutional, economic and political frameworks. This article addresses these considerations for the case of Chile, and offers an evaluation of legal ambiguities regarding differences between desalinated water and other freshwater sources and associated consequences. This discussion reviews court records and legal documents of two companies operating desalination plants, both of which have simultaneous rights granted for underground water exploitation: the water supply company in the Antofagasta Region and Candelaria mining company in the Atacama Region. The analysis shows that issues of ambiguity and gaps in the legal system have been exploited in ways that allow these entities to continue the use and consumption of mountain water. They