Restless Waters: Fossil Fuel Emissions Conditioning a Reduction in Hydroelectric Resources in Chile

Abstract

Climate change has become a major concern worldwide. Major scientific organizations now agree that it is taking place, that human activities are contributing significantly to it, and?most important?that climate change and the resulting global warming pose significant future risks to humanity. Increasing the average global temperature by even a degree or two will lead to serious consequences worldwide, with reductions in the yields of crops, increases in rainfall amounts and thus increased flooding risks, and decreases in stream and river flows, among other effects. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, climate change is expected to causes losses of around 1% of annual GDP in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean between 2010 and 2100.