Browsing by Author "Sharp, Jonathan O."

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    Climate Change and Overuse: Water Resource Challenges during Economic Growth in Coquimbo, Chile
    (2022) Pizarro, Roberto; Garcia-Chevesich, Pablo A.; McCray, John E.; Sharp, Jonathan O.; Valdes-Pineda, Rodrigo; Sanguesa, Claudia; Jaque-Becerra, Dayana; Alvarez, Pablo; Norambuena, Sebastian; Ibanez, Alfredo; Vallejos, Carlos; Mendoza, Romina
    The arid Coquimbo region of Chile has experienced a significant economic growth in recent decades, fueled in large part by water-intensive activities such as mining and agriculture. Under this context, a monthly and annual trend analysis of precipitation, streamflow, and piezometric levels was carried out. Thus, 43 pluviometric stations, 11 fluviometric stations, and 11 wells were selected. These stations were evaluated for their temporal trends using the Mann-Kendall test. Results revealed a significant decrease in river flows, with negative and significant trends concentrated in the mean and maximum flows, both at annual and monthly levels. Likewise, positive trends were found in the depth to water table on wells, with significant trends in 81.8% of the monthly cases, and in 72.7% of the annual cases. While also decreasing over the same period, rainfall trends exhibit high variability and lacked significance. Although the amounts of precipitation have decreased, this does not seem to be the main factor responsible for the scarcity of water in the region, but rather an excessive consumption of this resource. This is endorsed by the increase in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is explained by activities that consume water (mining and agriculture). Similarly, an increase in the granting of underground water rights was verified, which speaks of the high demands for the resource. However, future modeling is advised to better understand the regional hydrology of the area and quantify the anthropic effects on water resources more precisely.
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    Constructed wetlands to treat polluted waters in Latin America and the Caribbean
    (2024) Garcia-Chevesich, Pablo A.; Morales-Paredes, Lino; Romero-Mariscal, Giuliana; Arenazas-Rodriguez, Armando; Ticona-Quea, Juana; Pizarro, Roberto; Vanzin, Gary; Sharp, Jonathan O.
    A collaborative analysis of constructed wetlands in Latin America and the Caribbean, published in Spanish, brought together insights from 10 different countries in the region. The collective reports focused on both subsurface and surface flow wetlands. Treatment targets included industrial and agricultural discharges, yet the emphasis was on the treatment of domestic wastewater as a pollutant, and a lack of sufficient municipal wastewater treatment infrastructure. Common macrophyte genera as well as unique species were highlighted for their potential contributions to treatment and ecological diversity. Finally, a growing body of legal frameworks for establishment and protection were reported.