Water and Social Conflict in Lake Paron

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Case Description

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Total Area	47.447.4 km² 18.301 mi² km2
Climate Descriptors	Semi-arid/steppe (Köppen B-type), Dry-winter
Predominent Land Use Descriptors	agricultural- cropland and pasture, conservation lands, forest land, rangeland
Important Uses of Water	Agriculture or Irrigation, Fisheries - wild, Hydropower Generation, Livestock, Recreation or Tourism

Issues and Stakeholders

Managing hydropower and agriculture demands

NSPD: Water Quantity, Governance, Values and Norms
Stakeholder Types: Local Government, Industry/Corporate Interest, Community or organized citizens, Cultural Interest

The owners of the land in the Paron watershed are campesina community (a farmer's cooperative) members who use the water and land resources for agriculture and livestock management. Laguna Paron is also a primary source of water for the Duke Energy hydroelectric plant that provides electricity to much of the Ancash region. As stated by law, Duke Energy has the right to a certain percentage of the lake's storage, however, release of this water is highly contentious. Protests have persisted for years, with no clear management solution in sight.

Who controls the lake level?

NSPD: Water Quantity, Governance, Values and Norms
Stakeholder Types: Federated state/territorial/provincial government, Local Government, Industry/Corporate Interest, Community or organized citizens

Since the federal law states that for the Huallanca power plant, Duke Energy has the right to a certain amount of water in Paron. The agency responsible for enforcing this law is unclear, as the National Water Authority (ANA) is expected to open and close the gate to release water from the lake, but this puts them at political odds with the community, and so they are hesitant to act. This leaves each party -- the local municipal government in Caraz, the campesina community (land owners of the watershed), Duke Energy, and the ANA in a stalemate.

Analysis, Synthesis, and Insight

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