The “Salar de Uyuni” is located at the Southwest of Bolivia, covering an area of 10,582 sq. km. and located at 3,653 meters above sea level. The “Salar de Uyuni” is the world’s largest salt flat and one of the main tourist attractions within the so-called “Andes southern axis” formed by Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Currently, the “Salar de Uyuni” is not only considered a tourist attraction, but also a productive resource, as there are several minerals that could be exploited in its subsoils. The project’s goal is to create the necessary conditions for the conservation and sustainable use of the “Salar de Uyuni” by incorporating local stakeholders in participatory environmental management processes, implementing alternative tourism-infrastructure networks and studying the impact caused by the extraction of natural resources in the area. Ultimately, the project seeks to mitigate the saturation of the existing routes and promote sustainable infrastructure projects.
Tags: tourism, Uyuni, resource extraction, sustainability, participative environmental management, Bolivia, salt flats
Image credit: http://www.ankas.net/sayfalar/usa_pictures.php?id=3&imgdir=places&page=8
THE UYUNI SALT FLAT
Al suroeste de Bolivia se halla “El Salar de Uyuni”, con una superficie de 10.582 Km2 y ubicado a 3.653 msnm. El salar de Uyuni es el más grande del mundo y uno de los principales atractivos turísticos dentro del denominado “eje andino sur” conformado por Bolivia, Argentina y Chile. En la actualidad, el salar de Uyuni es solo considerado no solo un atractivo turístico sino también un recurso productivo debido a los minerales que contiene y que pueden ser explotados. El objetivo del proyecto es crear las condiciones necesarias para la conservación y uso sustentable del Salar de Uyuni, incorporando a los actores locales en procesos de gestión ambiental participativa, implementando infraestructura con redes alternativas turísticas y estudiando el impacto de la explotación de los recursos naturales. De esta manera, el proyecto busca contrarrestar la saturación de las rutas existentes y promover proyectos de infraestructura sustentable.
Author: Fernando Martínez Montaño Affiliated Institutions: Landscape architecture, ecology and enviromental society (SAPEMA), Society of Architects of La Paz, H2O Studio, San Andres University, Aquino de Bolivia University, Valle de la Paz University, Kolchaca Municipality, Uyuni Municipality, Potosi prefecture. Affiliated Partners: Ramiro Zalles, Franklin Ayala, Gaston Gallardo, Renzo Borja, Samuel Uriarte, Roxana Salvatierra, Fabian Farfan, Patricia Roncal