Operationalising Adaptive Capacity - Climate Change and Water Governance: Adaptive Capacity in Chile and Switzerland - page 233

Table 12.2 (con tinued)

Case examples
Chile

Knowledge
indicators Operationalisation Switzerland

Applicability : Appropriateness of
the data sets (time period, data
points etc.) to the decision
making process

Issue of wet years being used to assess
water availability from which to
make rights allocation; data set from
which Resolution 39 is constructed
is out of date against current
hydrological parameters. Final
decisions on projects rest at
presidential level (on a 4 year
rotation); 80 % water security
measure over 30 year period to
inform permanent water rights
allocation, but in Copiapo, one wet
year was chosen so abstraction is
adjusted to a wet season as droughts
increase. Difficult to find and apply
data on environmental and social
costs

Politically, every 4-5 years there is a new communal
authority, requiring knowledge to be transferred and
re-assimilated. Challenges to cantonal oversight from
local level sovereignty of water and implementation.
Technical and hydrological data informs the management
of different sources of water (e.g. spring monitoring for
domestic supply), with real time data and annual
averages, as well as hazard response systems (MINERVE
& CERISE). Application of data from measuring stations
(e.g. expected flows) to flood protection plans for those
communes that have completed implementation.

How data/findings are applied to
decision making water
resources - being able to apply
information to decisions
because they are in the hands of
technical experts not just
politicians.

Monitoring
and
assessment

Consistency : Consistency in
different data sets and
information; consistency and
coordination in collation of
data.

Central perception in Santiago on
functionality of water resource
management differs significantly
from that in the regions, where
impacts of governance approach are
experienced. Wide range of actors
(public and private) conduct
mapping investigations, but lack of
clarity concerning decision making
process on contrasting data.

MINERVE requires consistent monitoring of precipitation for
increased accuracy in forecasting and prognosis (canton
& hydropower); observations and evaluation responsibil-
ity presides at canton level, maintaining the overview over
the municipalities for ad hoc extremes and longer term
planning project such as the TRC. Hydrological data
network is extensive but not target-oriented, and
cross-over/discrepancies between different levels and
sector involved in monitoring, and the different demarca-
tions of responsibility.