Globally, ocean-based economic development (aka the ‘the blue economy’) is increasing and continued growth is projected. The social and environmental impacts of the growth of the blue economy are a matter of some concern for local people who may experience few benefits and substantial negative impacts. One way that these impacts of the blue economy occur is through subtle or overt forms of dispossession that result from the growth of technologies and infrastructures at sea or on the land (e.g., offshore oil rigs, ships, ports, processing facilities, etc.). We focus on desalination, an understudied aspect of the blue economy that is growing exponentially. Proponents herald desalination as a sustainable solution to increase fresh water sources, while solving socio-environmental issues left behind by the overuse of natural freshwater. However, far from being a social and environmental panacea, new political and economic interests are fused to sustain this technology with impacts for both the environment and local social systems. In this paper, we review the literature and develop a framework to understand mechanisms of dispossession via the blue economy and apply it to desalination projects in the Antofagasta Region of Chile. Drawing from a review of environmental impact assessments and declarations of environmental impacts, the research analyses communities' concerns about the impacts of desalination. Our analysis revealed (1) lack of meaningful inclusion in decision-making; (2) physical displacement of communities or from areas required for livelihoods; (3) concerns about environmental effects, and related social impacts; and (4) few social or economic benefits to local people. The research concludes that desalination is a sector of the blue economy that is opening a new sphere of dispossession in the oceans.

中文翻译：

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蓝色经济中的剥夺技术：智利安托法加斯塔地区海水淡化的社会环境影响

在全球范围内，以海洋为基础的经济发展（又称“蓝色经济”）正在增加，并且预计会持续增长。蓝色经济增长对社会和环境的影响是当地人关注的一个问题，他们可能体验到很少的好处和大量的负面影响。蓝色经济的这些影响发生的一种方式是通过海上或陆地技术和基础设施（例如，海上石油钻井平台、船舶、港口、加工设施等）的增长所导致的微妙或明显的剥夺形式。 . 我们专注于海水淡化，这是呈指数增长的蓝色经济的一个未被充分研究的方面。支持者将海水淡化作为增加淡水资源的可持续解决方案，同时解决过度使用天然淡水留下的社会环境问题。然而，远非社会和环境的灵丹妙药，新的政治和经济利益融合在一起以维持这项技术，同时对环境和当地社会系统产生影响。在本文中，我们回顾了文献并制定了一个框架来理解通过蓝色经济剥夺财产的机制，并将其应用于智利安托法加斯塔地区的海水淡化项目。根据对环境影响评估和环境影响申报的审查，该研究分析了社区对海水淡化影响的担忧。我们的分析表明：(1) 决策制定中缺乏有意义的参与；(2) 社区或生计所需地区的实际迁移；(3) 对环境影响和相关社会影响的关注；(4) 对当地民众的社会或经济效益不高。