Learning the Lessons from Chile’s Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project

The Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project in Chile, verified under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), is cited as a failure that violated multiple human rights and environmental standards. The project involves rerouting three tributaries of the Maipo River through tunnels in the Andes Mountains, which the document claims threatens the drinking water of 7 million people in the Santiago metropolitan area and risks reducing river flows by 60-90%. Specific violations include threats to the rights to a healthy environment, water, life, health, food, adequate housing, work, and cultural participation. The document recommends that the project be removed from the CDM list and its construction halted. It further urges COP25 negotiators to ensure that Article 6 of the Paris Agreement incorporates robust social and environmental safeguards and independent grievance mechanisms to prevent similar outcomes in future 'sustainable development' projects.

• The Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project, located in the Cajón del Maipo near Santiago, involves rerouting three main tributaries of the Maipo River through 100 kilometers of tunnels in the Andes Mountains to generate electricity.
• The project is estimated to reduce the flows of the Yeso, Volcan, and Colorado rivers by 60-90%, endangering the primary drinking water source for 7 million residents of the Santiago metropolitan area.
• The project has caused significant environmental and social harm, including aggravating Chile's mega-drought, threatening 120,000 hectares of farmland irrigation, and creating dangerous working conditions that resulted in worker injuries and one death.
• The document asserts that the project violates several fundamental rights, including the right to participate in decision-making, as affected local communities were not adequately consulted on the project's design and implementation.
• To prevent the repetition of mistakes made under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism, the document recommends that Article 6 of the Paris Agreement be governed by independent grievance mechanisms, meaningful stakeholder consultations, and robust social and environmental safeguards.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Learning the Lessons from Chile’s Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/One-Pager-on-AM-for-COP25_with-R2P.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Learning the Lessons from Chile’s Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/One-Pager-on-AM-for-COP25_with-R2P.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Learning the Lessons from Chile’s Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/One-Pager-on-AM-for-COP25_with-R2P.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndlearning, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Learning the Lessons from Chile’s Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/One-Pager-on-AM-for-COP25_with-R2P.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }