Introducing the Case Study Areas: Hydro-climatic and Governance Contexts - Climate Change and Water Governance: Adaptive Capacity in Chile and Switzerland - page 96

Table 6.1 Intro ducing the case areas

Parameters Rhône, Canton Valais, Switzerland Aconcagua, Region V, Chile

Water basin Rhône Basin (source in Alps) Aconcagua Basin (source in Andes)

Population 303,241 485,614/1,539,852 (basin/region)

Average growth since 1996 has been
0.84%, but has increased since 2000

Growing population, particularly in
urban centres (Reyes Carbajal
2007 ) around 3%/annum

Economic
sectors

Irrigated Agriculture & Viticulture;
Industry (chemicals); Tourism;
Hydropower

Irrigated Agriculture; Industry
(mining & cement); Hydropower;
Tourism in the coastal urban zone

Area with a large concentration of Swiss
hydropower production, viticulture,
as well as ski and tourism area

Important agricultrual region
(avocado and other table fruits)

Geography Surface areas of 5,375 km2 (53.8%

unproductive land)

7,340 km 2 (45% of Valparaiso Region
- 16,396.1 km 2 ). Basin-average
annual runoff at the coast side is
over 50 mm/year and in the central
part less than 20 mm/year. Higher
values occur in summer and spring
as a result of glacier and snow
melt, lower flows occur during
autumn and winter especially in
the upper part above 1,000 m
altitude where the flow regime is
nival. At lower elevations the
regime becomes mixed;
nivo-pluvial

The nivo-glacial regime is characterised
by low discharge in winter and high
discharge in summer. The importance
of glaciers within the basin is high,
since in over 50% of the basin,
precipitation falls in the form of snow

Climate Mediterranean climate Semi-arid Mediterranean climate

Nivo-Glacial/Pluvial regime Nivo-Pluvial regime

The Alpine interior, especially the canton
of Valais, has a relatively dry
continental climate - less than
600 mm of water per year on the plain

Two climate types are observed in the
Aconcagua basin: warm
Mediterranean and cold climate in
the high Andes.

Climate
impacts

Increased glacial melt & elevation of
snow line

Increased glacial melt & elevation of
snow line

Changes in the seasonality of river flows
Increase in summer run off evident in
most heavily glaciated regions

Changes in the seasonality of river
fl ows
Decrease in summer run off already
evident

Extreme
events

Flooding events (major events in 1993 &
2000), water stress periods and heat
waves (2003 heat wave), and seasonal
periods of peak demand due in part to
its large tourism sector

Droughts in 1996-1998, 2003, 2008,
and 2010
Decreases in summer run off in the
upper basin as a result of a
reduction in glacial coverage and
snow depth in the drainage
watershed; glaciers are now in a
phase of diminishing contribution
(continued)