ABSTRACT
Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated places on earth. Located in the South Pacific roughly 3,700 kilometers from South America’s coast and 2,112 kilometers from the nearest populated area, the Pitcairn Islands (Fischer, 2010), this island under the political sovereignty of Chile is known in Continental Chile by its Polynesian name and elsewhere as Easter Island. Rapa Nui’s remoteness, history, and culture make it a unique setting in which to observe water in its ecological, institutional, and cultural contexts.And yet, while the island’s specific set of circumstances makes it unique, it also offers a lens through which to gain broader insights about water politics in Latin America and the Global South.
