Articles | Volume 28, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2483-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2483-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
The influence of human activities on streamflow reductions during the megadrought in central Chile
Nicolás Álamos
Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2, FONDAP/1523A0002), Santiago, Chile
Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra (ICT), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Centro de Acción Climática, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
Camila Alvarez-Garreton
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2, FONDAP/1523A0002), Santiago, Chile
Ariel Muñoz
Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2, FONDAP/1523A0002), Santiago, Chile
Centro de Acción Climática, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Estudios Ambientales, Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
Centro Regional de Investigación e Innovación para la Sostenibilidad de la Agricultura y los Territorios Rurales, Ceres Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), Valparaíso, Chile
Álvaro González-Reyes
Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra (ICT), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Centro de Humedales río Cruces (CEHUM), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Centro de Investigación: Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes – IDEAL, Valdivia, Chile
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24 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Panta Rhei: a decade of progress in research on change in hydrology and society H. Kreibich et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2025.2469762
- Less water from glaciers during future megadroughts in the Southern Andes Á. Ayala et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02845-6
- Snow Cover Trends in the Chilean Andes Derived from 39 Years of Landsat Data and a Projection for the Year 2050 A. Dietz et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17091651
- Above and belowground responses to prolonged drought: Shrub microsites accumulate soil nutrients while vegetation greenness declines in semiarid ecosystems F. Henríquez-Gangas et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105660
- Attribution Analysis on Runoff Reduction in the Upper Han River Basin Based on Hydro-Meteorologic and Land Use/Cover Change Data Series X. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17142067
- Assessment of catchment water resources allocation under climate change in Luwombwa sub-catchment, Zambia D. Mwelwa et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39962
- Hydroclimatic Variability of the Grey River Basin (Chilean Patagonia): Trends and Relationship with Large-Scale Climatic Phenomena P. Fuentes-Aguilera et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131895
- Increases in the Amounts of Agricultural Surfaces and Their Impact on the Sustainability of Groundwater Resources in North-Central Chile R. Pizarro et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177570
- Rainwater Harvesting as a Groundwater Recharge Strategy for Rural Water Security: A Pilot Study in the Ñuble Region, Chile R. Pizarro et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16136716
- Modeling wave-induced sediment transport and morphodynamic response in a bar-built estuary K. Gutiérrez et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2026.105056
- Drought Vulnerability in South America E. Silverman & J. Engström https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152332
- Monitoring the physical processes driving the mass loss of Tapado Glacier, Dry Andes of Chile Á. Ayala et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.24
- Patterns and Functional Insights of DNA Methylation Variation in a South American Mayfly Across an Agriculturally Impacted Semi-Arid Watershed A. Bertin et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15010090
- Improving trans-regional hydrological modelling by combining LSTM with big hydrological data S. Tang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102257
- Disentangling the socio-natural dynamics of drought and water scarcity in Colombia's Tropical Andes C. Pérez et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2024.102068
- Influence of Avocado Plantations as Driver of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Chile’s Aconcagua Basin I. Duran-Llacer et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040750
- Modeling Metal(loid)s Transport in Arid Mountain Headwater Andean Basin: A WASP-Based Approach D. Castillo et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131905
- Sediment Load Decreases After the Historical 2017 Megafire in Central Chile: The Purapel in Sauzal Experimental Watershed Case Study and Its Implications for Sustainable Watershed Management R. Pizarro et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17229930
- Assessment of Low-Flow Trends in Four Rivers of Chile: A Statistical Approach F. Daide et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17060791
- Widespread breaching of intermittent estuaries by atmospheric rivers: A satellite-based assessment in central-southern Chile R. Flores et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109663
- CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA INTEGRIDADE DE RIACHOS UTILIZANDO INDICADORES AMBIENTAIS NA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO CUPIM, MATO GROSSO H. Santiago et al. https://doi.org/10.31413/nat.v13i4.20211
- A Physics-Inspired Stochastic Resonance Framework for Enhancing Machine Learning Streamflow Forecasting Y. Quan et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w18131586
- Assessing management scenarios for the river shrimp Cryphiops caementarius in the semi-arid region of Chile: Based on semi-quantitative ecological network approach C. Velásquez et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2026.107732
- The role of rootstock-scion interactions in mitigating drought stress across Prunus species I. Opazo et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07721-y
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 27 Jul 2026
Short summary
In this study, we assess the effects of climate and water use on streamflow reductions and drought intensification during the last 3 decades in central Chile. We address this by contrasting streamflow observations with near-natural streamflow simulations. We conclude that while the lack of precipitation dominates streamflow reductions in the megadrought, water uses have not diminished during this time, causing a worsening of the hydrological drought conditions and maladaptation conditions.
In this study, we assess the effects of climate and water use on streamflow reductions and...