Huge Win in Chile: Dam Permit Revoked Keeping Two Patagonia Rivers Wild

We are witnessing history in the making in Patagonia. After more than eight years of civil protests,public awareness campaigns and legal challenges—brought by a collective of more than 80 non-governmental organizations who together form thePatagonian Defense Council—Chile's government has revoked the environmental permit for the $8 billion HidroAysén project. The decision means two of Patagonia's most pristine rivers will (for the time being) remain wild and scenic.

The decision also aids us in preventing even more dams—and more mines—in other watersheds, includingEndesa's plan to build three dams on the Futaleufú. What started as a small grassroots coalition facing unthinkable odds has evolved into a force to be reckoned with, both in Chile and internationally.

For many members of the Patagonian Defense Council, this week's decision served to validate a decade-long effort to hold foreign companies accountable for their environmental impacts. Speaking from his home in Santiago, council member Bernardo Reyes, with the organizationÉtica en los Bosques,underscored the historical significance of the decision. "The death of HidroAysén marks the end of the era of mega-dams in Chile … Today our citizens are demanding changes to the energy model and to an economic model that preys upon local territories, ecosystems, cultures and economies."

Chileans do not want dams that sacrifice their national treasures, and they're making that very clear. In Futaleufú, 90 percent of the population is opposed to the dams. These communities want to determine their future. They also want energy independence, and not just from fossil fuels but from the massive corporations like Endesa and Energía Austral that control the market. Contrary to the claims these corporations are making in the Chilean press, their only objective in damming Patagonia's rivers is to profit by selling energy to the mining sector.

International supporters of the Patagonian Defense Council includeRobert F. Kennedy, Jr., president ofWaterkeeper Alliance, who spoke about the HidroAysén and Futaleufú projects in an interview withPatagon Journallast year. He said, "Endesa has tremendous political power and, as foreign investors, they are trying to drive energy policy in Chile.And it is an insane policy. It makes no sense from a market point of view, and makes no sense in terms of protecting the patrimony of the country and the economy of Patagonia which is increasingly a tourist-based economy."Studiesshow Chile can meet all of its energy needs without damming a single river in Patagonia, but only recently has the political will caught up with the science.

From our perspective as Waterkeepers the fight to save Patagonia is far from over.Mining companies still want access to Patagonia's rich mineral resources, which means they still need large energy suppliers. Endesa still owns the water rights to many of the largest rivers in Chile. And even with tougher environmental controls that increase the costs of gaining environmental approval, destroying Patagonia's rivers is still the cheapest way for mining companies to get what they want. Until we get permanent protections in place, Endesa can continue developing plans to dam the Puelo, Cuervo and Futaleufú Rivers.

Amidst growing concerns about thedestruction of Patagonia, 45 women from different regions of Chile and Argentinacame together in January for a five-daycabalgatato call attention to the damming of Patagonia's rivers.

Details can be seen here

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Taxonomy

• River Basin management
• Dams