Huasco Wetland Observatory. Promoting the Environmental and Cultural Values of Urban Coastal Wetlands in the Atacama Desert
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Date
2025
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Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Coastal wetlandsCoastal wetlands in the Atacama DesertAtacama desert constitute important systems that are characterized not only by their landscapeLandscape beauty and the exceptional biodiversity they harbor, but also by their important role as ecological infrastructure that provides key ecosystem servicesServices for sustainable development, resilienceResilience, and adaptability to climate change of territories and communities. At the same time, these are understood as the expression of broader and more complex ecological systems, related to regional hydrology and to migratory movements of birds on a continental scale. From a socio-ecological perspective, wetlands are vital ecosystems for human survival, as they represent some of the most productive environmentsEnvironment in the world: they are cradles of biological diversity, sources of water and primary productivity on which countless plant and animal species depend for survival. Despite the above, these systems are commonly exposed to severe threats and impacts to their components and functions that affect not only the ecology of wetlands, but also the quality of life for surrounding communities. This chapter examines, based on the case study of the wetland at the mouth of the Huasco river, the approaches and strategies of landscape architectureLandscape Architecture for enhancing the visibilityVisibility and conservationConservation of the environmental and cultural values of urban coastal wetlandsCoastal wetlands in the Atacama DesertAtacama desert, implemented through a co-productionCo-production process with local communities and key stakeholders. The resulting initiative, known as Huasco Wetland Observatory, conceived as a spaceSpace for mediation between the ecology of the wetland, the local community, and visitors, by activating an in-situ dissemination area that provides scientific and didactic information, thus contributing to the understanding of this important landscapeLandscape.
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Keywords
Atacama Desert, Co-production, Coastal wetlands, Conservation, Landscape architecture, Visibility