The town of San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile’s Antofagasta region is surrounded by natural wonders such as volcanoes, colorful lagoons, geysers, salt flats, gigantic dunes and rock formations. Its main road, Caracoles, is visited by tourists worldwide who travel on foot or by bicycle, with their faces covered with scarves to protect themselves from the high plateau’s strong, sand-blowing winds. Less than 500 meters (1,600 feet) away, in an adobe house, is the office of the Council of Atacameño Peoples, an Indigenous association that represents 18 communities of the Lickanantay people, which means “the inhabitants of the territory” in the local language. The Council of Atacameño Peoples (CPA) was created to preserve the territories of the Atacama communities and ensure the well-being of the people who live there. The council thus found it necessary to inspect the impacts of mining activity that occur in the area, also home to fragile ecosystems and endangered species. To do so properly, the CPA created an Environmental Unit in 2017 made up of Atacama professionals, such as hydrogeologists, engineers and environmental monitors, who are from the territory’s communities. The Atacama salt flat. Image courtesy of the Council of Atacameño Peoples. This is a unique model in Latin America that, according to Francisco Mondaca, environmental engineer and coordinator of the Environmental Unit, primarily seeks to ensure the protection and monitoring of community ecosystems while respecting the culture of Indigenous communities. As a result of the Environmental Unit’s recognized work, it was invited to…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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