In a world defined by climate collapse and resource overexploitation, the Petorca River basin has become an extreme symbol of what happens when development ignores water limits. Declared a water disaster zone for several consecutive years, this basin reflects on a local scale a global challenge: the imbalance between growing demand, declining supply, and the accelerated loss of ecosystem services. Today in Petorca, more water is extracted than nature can replenish, and aquifers are operating below ecological thresholds. The crisis is not only physical—it is ecological, social, and productive.
In this urgent context, the project in the Maipo micro-basin represents a real and measurable opportunity to regenerate water availability and restore essential landscape functions. Through coordinated actions including native forest reforestation, erosion control, rainwater harvesting, adaptive infrastructure, and community strengthening, the project aims to restore the hydrological balance at slope, soil, and aquifer levels. This is not just about planting trees: it is about redesigning the relationship between ecosystem and productive territory. The intervention reduces evapotranspiration, enables infiltration of seasonal runoff, and enhances groundwater recharge capacity—with direct benefits for agricultural resilience, local biodiversity, and rural water security.
Each hectare restored in Maipo represents a potential volume of infiltration that can be sustained over time, traceable under the VWBA methodology (A-4, recharge method) and with cumulative impacts on water quality and fire risk reduction. The project’s scale, community-led governance, and integrated approach allow bold solutions to be deployed where they are most needed: in depleted watersheds. Instead of extracting, this project gives back. Instead of competing for water, it creates additional availability. And that difference—measurable, intentional, and additional—is what makes this initiative a true Water Positive example, ready to be scaled and replicated.
The Petorca basin faces a critical convergence of threats: structural water deficit, loss of native vegetation, recurring wildfires, soil erosion, and the collapse of ecological resilience. In this fragile geography—where rainfall has declined by over 30% in recent decades and groundwater extraction surpasses natural recharge—the technical opportunity lies in restoring ecosystem functions to increase water availability from the ground up: through soil and vegetation. Maipo, as a prioritized micro-basin, concentrates ideal conditions for action: steep slopes, degraded areas, organized communities, and smallholder farmers committed to productive conservation.
The project proposes an integrated solution combining ecological restoration (native reforestation, removal of invasive exotic species, shrubland management) with green infrastructure (ponds, infiltration ditches, firebreaks) and local governance. These actions are designed to reduce non-productive evapotranspiration, improve rainwater infiltration, and slow surface runoff, enabling effective aquifer recharge. It is estimated that for every 10 hectares restored, between 3,000 and 5,000 m³/year of additional infiltrated water can be generated, depending on vegetation type and rainfall patterns. Moreover, the installation of rainwater harvesting systems for agricultural and livestock use helps reduce direct pressure on wells, improving effective availability for priority uses.
The solution is led by a strategic alliance of community organizations, local governments, ecosystem restoration experts, and water traceability platforms. The intentionality of the benefit, its additionality over the degraded baseline, and its physical and digital traceability ensure full alignment with the VWBA 2.0 framework. Furthermore, due to its replicability across other degraded micro-basins in Chile’s north-central region, it offers a strategic solution for companies with ESG goals around water, climate, and biodiversity.
Taking action now is not just an environmental imperative—it is a strategic decision. Companies in agriculture, agribusiness, food, or energy operating in water-stressed regions can lead this transformation. In doing so, they not only comply with sustainability standards but also strengthen their social license to operate in complex territories. This project proves that ecological restoration can be a commercially smart, technically sound, and emotionally compelling solution. Because returning water to the land also means returning a future to the communities.
The project proposes a multidimensional intervention structured around three key pillars, aligned with VWBA, WASH BA, and—where relevant—WQBA methodologies:
1. Reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW)
2. Artificial Aquifer Recharge
3. Strengthening Community Access and Water Management (WASH BA)
1. Technical and Social Diagnosis
The first phase involves a comprehensive data collection process covering both technical and community dimensions. Priority rural water systems will be identified based on water stress levels, infrastructure conditions, leak rates, and service coverage. A hydrogeological assessment will also be conducted to map recharge potential across the basin, using field data and territorial modeling. In parallel, baseline access conditions will be documented, including supply frequency, perceived water quality, and current delivery mechanisms. All work will be coordinated with municipalities, rural water committees, and local organizations.
2. Engineering Design and Site PreparationU
Using the collected data, technical designs will be developed for each solution. These include network sectorization, monitoring technology deployment, rainwater harvesting systems, and the construction of aquifer recharge structures like infiltration trenches and shallow wells. Permits will be secured from relevant authorities, and initial training workshops will be held with local water operators to ensure proper management and ownership of the technologies.
3. Infrastructure Deployment and Technology Installation
Once designs are finalized, on-site implementation will begin. This includes the installation of meters, control valves, and sensors for leak detection and flow optimization. Recharge infrastructure will be built in previously identified areas, following technical criteria such as soil permeability, aquifer depth, and connectivity to natural waterways. In communities with insufficient or intermittent access, critical sections of the distribution network will be upgraded to improve pressure, continuity, and per capita water availability.
4. Monitoring, Validation, and Impact Reporting
After implementation, a continuous monitoring system will be launched to assess project impact. Real-time data will be used to track reductions in NRW, recharge volumes, and access improvements. These indicators will be compared against the baseline and used to generate verifiable reports. Community participation will be encouraged in the monitoring process through accessible tools and regular reporting, aligned with VWBA and WASH frameworks.
5. Territorial Scaling and Model Replication
The project experience will be systematized to facilitate replication in other areas of the basin, such as Cabildo and La Ligua. Partnerships will be formed with agricultural stakeholders to establish voluntary water compensation schemes that support long-term financial sustainability. Efforts will also be made to access external funding—both national and international—to scale up the interventions. Finally, capacity-building efforts will be focused on strengthening the technical and organizational autonomy of local actors to ensure sustainability beyond the project cycle.
This project emerges as a direct response to a persistent and critical water scarcity situation in the Petorca River basin—one of the most affected areas in Chile due to both adverse climate conditions and an imbalanced water use model. Over the past three decades, intensive irrigation, declining rainfall, and the lack of adequate rural infrastructure have fueled environmental degradation and high social tension.
The project addresses this complex issue through a basin-wide, integrated strategy built around three main pillars: improved water efficiency, artificial aquifer recharge, and enhanced community access to safe water. Every component is designed under the principle of additionality, ensuring that benefits would not occur without project intervention, and aligned with the VWBA 2.0 and WASH BA methodologies.
The first pillar focuses on reducing Non-Revenue Water in rural systems by working directly with local water committees and cooperatives, many of which suffer from losses exceeding 40%. Real-time monitoring technologies will be implemented—including pressure and flow sensors, automated valves, telemetry, and sector meters—to detect and address leaks efficiently. These upgrades will be supported by hydraulic sectorization, critical network redesign, and technical training for local personnel, relieving pressure on a severely depleted aquifer.
The second pillar emphasizes artificial aquifer recharge. Hydrogeological analysis and satellite tools will identify priority infiltration zones, especially along active gullies and historic recharge channels. Infrastructure such as trenches, shallow wells, filter galleries, and stormwater diversion canals will be constructed to capture temporary flows and promote percolation. Community rooftops in schools, health centers, and public buildings will be used for rainwater harvesting, pre-filtered and redirected to recharge structures. This hybrid of engineered and nature-based solutions aims to recover the original hydrological function of the basin and contribute to slow, sustained aquifer recovery.
The third pillar centers on people. A detailed assessment of service coverage, continuity, and quality will be conducted in at least 10 rural communities. Based on this, networks will be upgraded to ensure dignity in access—improving pressure, storage, and per capita availability. A community empowerment program will also be launched, offering training for operators, fostering local water governance, promoting transparency, and enabling citizen participation. Public campaigns will raise awareness about responsible water use and emphasize collective stewardship of this common resource.
Throughout the entire project cycle, the Aqua Positive platform will be used to record data, calculate volumetric benefits, verify additionality, and ensure traceability. All indicators will be auditable, comparable, and aligned with international frameworks such as science-based targets for water, corporate sustainability reporting standards, and the CEO Water Mandate.
