Controlling drought is one way to treat gray water.

This year, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is being celebrated under the slogan "United for the Earth: Our Legacy. Our Future”, focusing on promoting sustainable soil management. Around a quarter of the world's population is affected by drought and the soil degradation it causes. Every second, an area of healthy soil the size of four football fields is degraded, adding up to 100 million hectares annually—an area larger than Chile, which is 75 million hectares.

Feeding humanity, addressing climate change, and solving the biodiversity crisis are only possible with healthy soils. Proper water resource management plays a key role in mitigating drought and desertification. Policies and technologies that promote water use efficiency and the use of non-traditional water resources, such as rainwater and treated wastewater, can help conserve water and prevent soil degradation.

Educating communities about the importance of water is essential for promoting sustainable practices and reducing pressure on vulnerable ecosystems. Prioritizing responsible water management also strengthens resilience to the adverse effects of climate change, providing better options for a sustainable future.

In Chile

The climate crisis has exposed the country's vulnerability to extreme weather events, such as intense rainfall in a short period of time or prolonged droughts, which endanger public and private infrastructure. The advance of the desert from the north toward the central area is another challenge the country will face in the coming years. Law 19.561 addresses this issue by regulating forestry activity on soils suitable for forestry and on degraded soils. The law encourages afforestation and the prevention of degradation as a national public policy to combat desertification.

The gray water project is directly connected to reforestation, which requires water, especially in areas with limited access to water, such as the northern sector of Santiago, Petorca in the Valparaíso region, and locations further north.

The gray water law (Law 21.075), which regulates the collection, reuse, and disposal of gray water, was recently updated to expand its use. This update directly benefits environmental conservation and sustainability.

GWR Project

In this vein, the gray water project contributes to the development of technology that can treat gray water economically, quickly, and safely. This represents significant potential, as an average household in Chile currently consumes 170 liters of drinking water per person, 60% of which becomes gray water. This amount could be recovered and used for reforestation, for example, which could have a significant impact, especially in the northern part of the country.

Authors: Dr. Esteban Quijada / Dr. Ricardo Abejón