Changes in Water Resources Systems:
Methodologies to Maintain Water Security and Ensure Integrated Management
(Proceedings of Symposium HS3006 at IUGG2007, Perugia, July 2007). IAHS Publ. 315, 2007, 71-77
Historical
analysis of irrigation and environment in two arid regions in South America
maurits ertsen & Joanne van der spek
Water Resources, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5048, 2600GA Delft, The Netherlands
m.w.ertsen@tudelft.nl
Abstract This paper discusses how irrigators in two arid areas in South America have responded to irregular river flow patterns to match water availability with actual water requirements. The Pampa de Chaparrí (Peruvian north coast, 900–1500 AD) shows that irrigators may have adjusted irrigated surface and planting times. The Proyecto Río Dulce (PRD) irrigation area in Argentina (1850–present) shows how irrigators continuously increased control over water flows through physical infrastructure. The paper elaborates upon how irrigation systems can be understood as human responses to environmental constraints.
Key
words Argentina; arid environment; hydrology; irrigation; Peru;
strategies