Step 4 applies a computational decision-support tool, that uses optimization algorithms, to optimise the water supply network by selecting which candidate connections are activated and allocating flows to meet demands, subject to mass balance and capacity constraints. System performance is evaluated using a multi-criteria structure that makes trade-offs between economic efficiency, environmental impact, and social considerations explicit. Step 5 focuses on result analysis and interpretation, using spatial visualisation and performance indicators to compare shared and project-based infrastructure configurations and to support deliberation. Step 6 closes the process through iteration, as insights gained from the analysis are used to refine assumptions, scenarios, and cost representations, enabling the identification of robust and socially acceptable infrastructure strategies. Figure 1 – Overview of the participatory methodological framework. (adapted from Pagliero et al., 2024) 3. STUDY CASE The case study applies the proposed methodological framework to the Caserones mining operation, operated by Lundin Mining, located within the Copiapó River basin in northern Chile. This basin represents a water-scarce and highly stressed territorial system where mining activities coexist with agricultural users, rural drinking water systems, and environmentally sensitive areas (Figure 2). The analysis focuses on the potential role of shared desalinated water infrastructure as a strategic alternative to conventional project-based water supply, assessing its implications for supply security, territorial interactions, and environmental performance at a regional scale. The study builds on the spatial database and cost layers already implemented in the decision-support tool for the Copiapó basin, which are updated to reflect the operational context of Caserones and
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