Chile and Australia seal alliance to face water crisis with focus on unconventional water sources
The Chilean Desalination and Reuse Association, ACADES, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian Water Association, AWA, an organization that brings together the main actors in the water sector in Australia.
The agreement establishes a joint work agenda to exchange technical knowledge, regulatory experiences, and governance models related to unconventional water sources. It also includes collaboration in seminars, professional training activities, and bilateral projects in water innovation.
"This agreement reflects the need to open Chile to international experiences that have managed to advance in concrete solutions to water scarcity. Australia is a key reference due to its track record in integrated water management, particularly in desalination and reuse," said Alberto Kresse, president of ACADES.
Australia, considered one of the driest countries in the world, has developed a robust institutional framework to face prolonged scenarios of water scarcity. Following the so-called "Millennium Drought" (1997-2010), the country promoted a national strategy that integrated seawater desalination infrastructure, water reuse and recycling, along with governance mechanisms among regions and productive sectors, thus allowing it to advance towards an efficient, decentralized and resilient management of the water resource.
"Australia, like Chile, faces challenges related to water scarcity. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Australian Water Association and ACADES represents a great opportunity to share knowledge and experiences between the water sectors of Australia and Chile," said Corinne Cheeseman, executive director of the AWA.
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In that context, the agreement between ACADES and AWA represents a strategic step to strengthen technical collaboration between two countries that have bet on unconventional water sources as a key piece to move towards water security. For ACADES, the agreement with AWA allows for the acceleration of learning and the implementation of solutions in Chile, especially in strategic exporting sectors of the economy such as mining and agriculture.
"Water security requires public-private coordination and the will to incorporate technologies and models that are already working in other countries," Kresse added.
The MoU will have an initial validity of three years and is part of the international agenda of ACADES, which aims to position Chile as a hub for water innovation in Latin America, promoting enabling regulatory frameworks, investment in infrastructure and an integrated perspective on water security as the foundation for sustainable development.