Criteria by which a desalination project should undergo Environmental Impact Assessment

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Patricio Winckler Grez

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Jul 15, 2026, 11:11:47 AM (8 days ago) Jul 15
to coasta...@udel.edu, coastal_li...@udel.edu, coastal_l...@udel.edu
Dear coastal-listers:
A recently modified Chilean environmental law has incorporated industrial-scale desalination plants and intensive seawater extraction projects as new project types subject to entry into the Environmental Impact Assessment System (EIAS), without specifying the criteria under which a project must undergo evaluation. As part of this modification to the law, we've been asked to 1) establish criteria by which a new project should enter the EIAS, and 2) assess the practical consequences of applying each criterion.
So far, we have identified a set of criteria but would like to compare them with experiences elsewhere, especially in countries where desalination is significant (Spain, Australia, United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, among others).
The criteria identified so far include: product water production capacity, seawater intake flow rate, brine and other effluent discharge flow rate, proximity to protected areas and sensitive habitats, cumulative effects, supply criticality, and exposure to coastal hazards.
Kind regards and have a nice day,

Pato

Patricio Winckler Grez

PhD. in Civil Engineering, MSc.

Escuela de Ingeniería Oceánica, Universidad de Valparaíso
Investigador CIGIDEN R+ y COSTA-R

Dirección:   Av. Brasil 1786, Of. 22, Valparaíso. Código postal: 2362844
Móvil/Wapp:  +56 9 42572974
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