Excluding Antarctica and Greenland, 3.8% of the world’s glacier area is concentrated in Chile. The country has been strongly affected by the mega drought, which affects the south-central area and has produced an increase in dependence on water resources from snow and glacier melting in dry periods. Recent climate change has led to an elevation of the zero-degree isotherm, a decrease in solid-state precipitation amounts and an accelerated loss of glacier and snow storage in the Chilean Andes. This situation calls for a better understanding of future water discharge in Andean headwater catchments in order to improve water resources management in glacier-fed populated areas. The present study uses hydrological modeling to characterize the hydrological processes occurring in a glacio-nival watershed of the central Andes and to examine the impact of different climate change scenarios on discharge. The study site is the upper sub-watershed of the Tinguiririca River (area: 141 km²), of which nearly 20% is covered by Universidad Glacier. The semi-distributed Snowmelt Runoff Model + Glacier (SRM+G) was forced with local meteorological data to simulate catchment runoff. The model was calibrated on even years and validated on odd years during the 2008–2014 period and found to correctly reproduce daily runoff. The model was then forced with downscaled ensemble projected precipitation and temperature series under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, and the glacier adjusted using a volume-area scaling relationship. The results obtained for 2050 indicate a decrease in mean annual discharge (MAD) of 18.1% for the lowest emission scenario and 43.3% for the most pessimistic emission scenario, while for 2100 the MAD decreases by 31.4 and 54.2%, respectively, for each emission scenario. Results show that decreasing precipitation lead to reduced rainfall and snowmelt contributions to discharge. Glacier melt thus partly buffers the drying climate trend, but our results show that the peak water occurs near 2040, after which glacier depletion leads to reducing discharge, threatening the long-term water resource availability in this region.

Land use and land cover (LULC) change is one of the clearest representations of the global environmental change phenomenon at various spatial and temporal scales. Chile is worldwide recognized to have areas dedicated to non-native forest plantations that specifically in coastal range show high environmental and economic deterioration, questioning the sustainability of the forestry industry. Currently, there are no studies in Chile that reveal the real effects of the LULC change on the water balance at basin or sub-basin scales associated with future scenarios, which might contribute to territorial decision-making and reveal the real magnitude of the effects of these dynamics. In this study, in order to study LULC dynamics in a coastal basin in South-Central Chile, we assessed and analyzed the effects of future LULC change scenarios on the hydrological processes by generating future synthetic land cover maps from Landsat (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI) image datasets. The hydrological model Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated and validated, using hydroclimatic time series, to simulate discharges and other hydrological components over those future LULC scenarios. The LULC future scenarios were projected using combined Markov chain analysis (CA–Markov) and cellular automata algorithms for the near (2025), middle (2035) and far (2045) future. The results revealed that the effects on the different components of the water balance of the basin are not as significant except in the soil water transfer in percolation (increase 72.4%) and groundwater flow (increase 72.5%). This trend was especially observed in sub-basins with non-native forest plantations that dominated land cover in the year 2035, in which an increase of 43.6% in percolation and groundwater flows resulted in increased aquifer recharge and water storage, mainly offset by a decrease of 27% in the evapotranspiration. This work demonstrates the importance of evaluating the impacts of the dynamics of LULC on the hydrological response of a coastal basin, and also on how the land use governance and policy are closely linked to that of water resources.

There are growing concerns regarding the hydrological impacts of native forest loss and exotic plantation expansion; yet these effects remain poorly constrained in regions where climate variability associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may mask underlying land cover change signals. In addition, legacy soil conditions inherited from previous land uses can further modulate hydrological responses. This study examines the combined influence of land cover change, and ENSO variability on river flow dynamics in coastal catchments of central Chile.Using a 45-year hydroclimatic dataset (1979–2023), we analysed seasonal and annual streamflow trends across four catchments with contrasting land cover trajectories. Significant streamflow declines were detected in four catchments, particularly during summer, when water availability is most critical. Catchments experiencing 4–9% native forest loss exhibited reduced baseflows, whereas catchments with largely preserved native forest cover maintained or even increased summer flows. Interaction analyses indicate that native forest cover enhances precipitation–runoff conversion, while exotic plantations reduce runoff efficiency (precipitation × land cover interactions; R² = 0.46–0.77, negative slopes). ENSO phases alone explained little streamflow variability (R² < 0.04), but significant ENSO-precipitation interactions across all catchments (p < 0.001) highlight an indirect, yet consistent, climatic influence.To extend these observational findings and explore underlying hydrological processes, a physically-based hydrological model (SWAT) was implemented for the study catchments. Model calibration and validation show satisfactory performance, providing a robust basis for scenario-based simulations. Ongoing modelling explores the relative and combined impacts of land cover change and climate variability on streamflow under current conditions. The integration of long-term observations with process-based modelling offers new insights into how vegetation change modulates hydrological resilience to climate variability, with important implications for water security and ecosystem management in this type of regions.

Early career researchers are increasingly mobile, often conducting their scientific training and research in countries where neither the language nor the academic culture are their own. While scientific mobility is widely encouraged, its implications for scientific identity, confidence and participation are rarely discussed. This contribution offers an early career perspective on the challenges of doing science in a second language within the context of academic migration.Drawing from personal experience in hydrology and climate research, this presentation reflects on how working in a non-native language extends beyond communication difficulties and shapes the way early career researchers think, write, code, and engage in scientific discussions. Limited linguistic fluency can amplify impostor syndrome, restrict spontaneous participation, and temporarily reduce perceived scientific competence, particularly in highly competitive academic environments. At the same time, navigating science across languages and cultures can foster adaptability, conceptual clarity, and a deeper understanding of one’s own research.The experience of academic migration often entails a parallel loss and reconstruction of scientific identity; expertise developed in one context may feel diminished in another, leading early career researchers to re-evaluate their knowledge, methodologies, and role within the scientific community. This presentation highlights how such transitions, while challenging, can ultimately strengthen critical thinking and interdisciplinary awareness when adequately supported.By sharing these reflections, this contribution aims to normalise experiences that are often internalised and invisible, and to highlight language and migration as structural dimensions of diversity in science. Practical suggestions are proposed to foster more inclusive research environments, including changes in mentoring practices, meeting dynamics, and expectations around scientific communication. Acknowledging the human dimensions of scientific mobility is essential not only for researcher well-being, but also for the quality, creativity and inclusivity of scientific knowledge production.

There are global concerns about the hydrological impacts of native forest loss or plantation forestry expansion, but such impacts are not well understood in zones where the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may mask underlying land cover change effects. Soil conditions also play a crucial role, as differences in soil properties inherited from previous land uses can influence current patterns of soil degradation and hydrological responses. This study investigated these combined effects on river flow dynamics in coastal catchments of central Chile. Using a 45‐year dataset (1979–2023), we found significant streamflow declines in four of five catchments, particularly in summer, where water availability is most critical. Catchments with 4%–9% native forest loss exhibited lower summer streamflow, whereas those with preserved forest (e.g., Butamalal) maintained or increased summer flows. Higher native forest fractions were associated with greater catchment‐scale precipitation–streamflow ratios, as indicated by a significant precipitation × native forest interaction. In contrast, a lower PP‐Q ratio was observed in basins with higher exotic plantation fractions, reflected in a significant precipitation × exotic plantation interaction ( R ² = 0.46–0.77; negative slopes). ENSO phases alone explained little streamflow variability ( R ² < 0.04); however, their interaction with precipitation was significant across all catchments ( p < 0.001), highlighting an indirect but consistent climatic influence. These relationships likely reflect the interaction between land cover composition, legacy soil conditions, and climatic variability, but are based on monthly precipitation–streamflow responses which may mask finer scale process‐responses. Our findings underscore the dominant role of land cover, particularly native forests, in shaping hydrological resilience. The results highlight the hydrological relevance of conserving existing native forest cover and promoting its recovery in strategically important areas to enhance water security under increasing climate variability and prolonged droughts.