Social and territorial dimensions of droughts in San Juan (18th to 21st centuries): a proposal for periodization

Abstract

In this paper we have analyzed the main droughts and discussions about water scarcity in the south of the province of San Juan, Argentina, since the 18th century. From an approach that combined methods of historical climatology and a perspective inspired by hydro-social cycles, we pursued to problematize the naturalistic bias with which these processes have traditionally been interpreted, unraveling the representations and policies related to droughts in the San Juan River. In addition, the work made it possible to systematize basic information obtained from various documentary sources, a vacant issue in studies on the subject until now. As a result, a periodization of these hydrosocial processes in the province of San Juan is proposed, placing them in perspective with discussions of recent decades about the relationship of drought with global change, environmental vulnerability and uncertainties in water use.