With no end in sight to a drought that has blighted Chile for the last several years, the government will invest in desalinization plants and reservoirs to ensure access to potable water, President Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday. The drought, which began in 2007, is hampering copper production in the world's top exporter, exacerbating forest fires, driving energy prices higher and impacting agriculture.

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Photo credit: laguna matanzas en la reserva nacional El Yali/Pato Novoa (Flickr).