Abstract

The current water management system in Chile (WMSCH) is in a transition process from a management based in exploitation to an integrated river basin management. The main purpose of this study was to identify social and institutional strengths and weaknesses of the current WMSCH, that could lead to sustainable water governance. Three historical stages of evolution were recognized, which can be viewed as the strengths leading to sustainability: 1) a legal framework definition that ensures water property rights for exploitation, 2) an increase in the production of integrated information and 3) an increase, although fragmented, in the coordination of sectors and institutions dealing with water management and confronting climate change. The main weakness that diminishes the efficiency of those strengths is the inadequate incorporation of watershed eco-social dynamics into legislation and norms, which implies a low integration of the diverse actors, especially those without water rights and, therefore, the system does not produce a vertical integration. The legal discussion and incorporation of integrated river basin management implies a great national challenge that requires, above all, a true political willingness for decentralization.