Between water policies and efforts to calm thirst: The «aqueduct of the desert» in the unirrigated drylands of Lavalle, Mendoza

Abstract

The «aqueduct of the desert» is a necessary and iconic water works for the unirrigated area of the department of Lavalle, Mendoza. However, nearly ten years on from the beginning of its design and construction, it is disconnected from the provincial water policy and exhibits structural limitations which impede the solving of problems such as water disputes between unirrigated oasis-lands, water scarcity, and historical reparation to environmental injustice.

El «acueducto del desierto» se presenta comouna obra hídrica necesaria y em-blemática para la zona no irrigada del departamento de Lavalle, Mendoza. Sin embargo, a casi diez años del inicio de su diseño y construcción, se encuentra desarticulada de la política hídrica pro-vincial y exhibe limitaciones para resolver problemas estructurales como las disputas por el agua entre oasis-tierras no irrigadas, la escasez hídrica y la reparación histórica a la injusticia ambiental del lugar.