Water, power and progress: development of large dams in Chile

Large dams have resurged in recent decades both to meet growing energy demand and to mitigate climate change effects. Historically, they have been associated with the exercise of State power, nation-building, and territorial control. In Chile, where water access and control are shaped by market mechanisms, the study of large dams requires an approach that accounts for their inherently political nature. This article presents a historical analysis of large dam development in Chile employing the framework of technological hydroscapes. We place large dams as an analytical node through which three periods can be identified, each reflecting a particular mode of governance: private investment (1830–1928), State development (1928–1973), and neoliberalism (1973-present). The period-based examination connects global discourses and trends with the national development of large dams. The broader analysis captures territorial and governance transformations. The findings illustrate the evolution of the national technological hydroscape, providing new insights into the changing role of the State. While water privatisation has been central for the consolidation of the neoliberal programme, our analysis shows that State control over irrigation projects has also been central for the commodification of water and water markets functioning. Furthermore, the privatisation of energy development alongside the continued State involvement in irrigation projects has produced a differentiated territorialisation of private and State power across the country. Consequently, the role of the State varies according to the purpose of large dam projects, ranging from developer in irrigation projects, as mediator between private actors and local communities in hydropower development, and a hybrid role for concessioned projects.