Arid areas pose a challenge for water management: low water availability forces decision makers to work in contexts of overstressed water resources, with the already existing social, environmental, and economic conflicts and the general problems of sustainable development.

Seawater desalination and wastewater reuse are two of the most common paths to increase water availability for human consumption. Nevertheless, they present new challenges such as (a) the distribution of costs and benefits of the “new” resources among different users, (b) the environmental impact of waste disposal, and (c) the legal framework needed to regulate water use and management. Decision makers need to understand and address these challenges if these technologies are to provide sustainable long-term solutions.

This doctoral project aims to contribute to the sustainable development of arid areas by supporting decision making. For this, a decision support method will be developed. This is based on the selection and adaptation of relevant indicators that make it possible to assess the impact of different water technologies on the development of a territory using long-term scenarios. The city of Arica (Chile) serves as a case study.