By the end of 2021, half of the Chilean population of 19 million people lived in an area with water shortages.
The drought in the country has been going on for over 13 years, and in April this year, a comprehensive water rationing plan was introduced in the capital Santiago, according to The Guardian.
“Water has become a national security problem, it’s that serious,” researcher Pablo GarcĂa-Chevesich tells The Guardian.
Entire lakes are dehydrated, and agriculture in the country is becoming increasingly difficult.
“This is the biggest problem the country faces economically, socially and environmentally,” he concludes.