Environmental Monitoring Plan
desert on clear day

Salar de Atacama Environmental Monitoring Plan

In the Environmental Impact Study of the project "Changes and Improvements in the Mining Operation in the Salar de Atacama", one of the commitments established in the Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) corresponds to the implementation of an Environmental Monitoring Plan, which aims to evaluate the state of the Salar de Atacama systems over time. This Monitoring Plan considers:

  • Level measurements and physicochemical quality of the waters, distributed in shallow wells, deep wells, lagoon level grids and gauging stations.
  • Measurements of meteorological variables, through two stations: "Chaxa Station" and "KCl Station".

We are close to ecosystems with significant ecological value in some sectors of northern Chile, where we have implemented a Biotic Environmental Monitoring Plan, PSAB, monitoring of relevant variables to verify the state of the vegetation, flora, fauna, and aquatic life in the ecosystems. to protect.

This monitoring controls a set of variables, using direct measurements in the field and the analysis of high resolution satellite images (QuickBird or WorldView 2).

Panoramic vicuña in the desert
Algarrobo tree in the Atacama desert

The variables that make up the constant monitoring and study of biological diversity in the Salar de Atacama are:

  • Vegetation with 99 monitoring points on the eastern edge of the Salar de Atacama.
  • 75 flora registration plots, distributed in 7 transects along the eastern edge of the Salar de Atacama.
  • 18 fauna sampling stations (avifauna, mammals, reptiles).
  • 18 soil moisture sampling points, soil characterization.
  • 25 aquatic life sampling stations (Soncor Lacustrine System, Aguas de Quelana and Peine).
  • Flamingo censuses with CONAF.
  • Monitoring of the reproductive cycle of flamingos.
SQM Lithium Separator