A new extension of the generalized extreme value distribution, namely the Dual Gamma Generalized Extreme Value distribution developed by Nascimento, Bourguignony, and Leão (2015), displays superior performance in fitting most samples and is sensitive to trends, especially under non-stationary conditions such as climate change.

Our study assesses water stress in Chile from the mid-20th century to the end of the 21st century using novel datasets on water availability, land use, and water demand. We compute a water stress index for all basins in the country and show that, in addition to declining precipitation, rising water demand drives a steady increase in stress. As a drier future is projected for central Chile, the water stress index provides a useful tool for guiding water governance and adaptation strategies.