Water commons as a socioenvironmental project for the 21st century in Chile

Abstract

We describe how the water commons agenda has been mobilized by different social groups of Chilean society, including water social movements and indigenous people, and the way it was included in the constitutional debate (2021–2022). Although the draft for the new Constitution was rejected in September 2022, we argue that the water commons agenda is still being mobilized as a socioenvironmental project for the 21st century. Simply put, the water commons agenda does not disappear with the defeat of the proposed new Constitution. It continues to challenge the neoliberalization of nature and water imposed during the Pinochet dictatorship, proposing to create new ways to sustain the territories of life. HIGHLIGHTS Water and social crisis in Chile.; Social movements and indigenous people mobilize both the water commons agenda and the constituent process.; Constituent Convention declares water as a common good.; Proposed Constitution is rejected by citizenship.; Water commons agenda for the 21st century.;

Keywords

• social and ancestral reappropriation of water
• transitions from markets to commons
• water social movements