Water resources management in Chile
Much of Chile is dominated by the Andes Mountain range and many high altitude glaciers. With rising temperatures, the IPCC warns of increased melting for many of these glaciers, with some of them disappearing as early as 2020–2030. The Third Assessment Report from the IPCC indicate a critical situation for glaciers in neighboring countries such as Bolivia and Peru. The IPCC report goes on to say that glaciers in Chile are drastically reducing their volume at an increasing rate and that changes in temperature and humidity are the primary cause. In an article from Science Daily in March 2008, the news agency reports that, "if the inter-tropical glaciers of Chile, Argentina, and Colombia disappear, water availability and hydropower generation will be affected." Of the thirty test glaciers monitored in the Andes by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) only Chile's Echaurren Norte glacier thickened between 2005 and 2006.
Geography of Chile
Located on the west coast of South America, Chile has a total area of 756,102 sq km. There are four climates that separate Chile. One of these climates is the Dry climate. This is located the North above Santiago called Atacama Desert with the temperature of up to 90 °F. The Central part of Chile has a warmer climate that reaches up to 82.4 °F. The inner region of Chile has a snow climate. South of Chile there is a wet climate because of the Mediterranean Coastline this leading the Wet Season to range from May to August. Summer in Chile is December through February. Leading for the Winter to be June through August with low temperatures up to -2 °C.