In the context of the recent Sustainable Mining congress, the Canal 24 horas program featured the testimony and reflections of the SMI-ICE-Chile specialist, based on the experience of the Pedernales Salt Flats Valuation Project.
Journalist Javiera Pizzoleo Barrena spoke with Daniela Gamboa, coordinator of this project for SMI-ICE-Chile, about its scope in terms of environmental rehabilitation, socio-environmental education, and heritage contributions.
The Valuation Plan is part of one of the compensation measures resulting from a settlement agreement between Codelco Salvador Division and the State Defense Council, resulting from an environmental damage claim filed by the local communities.
The project included an educational program with activities for students from the Diego de Almagro community, ages 13 to 18. To achieve this, an educational plan was designed with different stages and activities, which included a field trip. «It was a great challenge because it meant taking 50 students on a visit to an altitude of more than 3,000 meters,» explained Daniela Gamboa.
This educational program began with an environmental fair and a workshop at the Diego de Almagro Cultural Center, an open space focused on the study of science and the environment in the region. “The idea,” Daniela emphasized, “was to explain to students, teachers, parents, authorities, and representatives of the Colla communities the physical environment: the mountains, the rivers, and their interactions; how we monitor nature, how we observe the flora and fauna. Something very important was the participation of the Colla communities, who are involved in this legal agreement with Codelco. They were firsthand participants in the ancestral use of the territory, so that the children could incorporate it directly into their educational experience.”
Daniela Gamboa highlighted the value of industry involvement in such opportunities, including scientific training in vulnerable schools and community participation, which allows for the visibility of their worldview and way of inhabiting the land. «This generates a greater sense of belonging in children and young people and helps them cultivate a deeper connection with nature.»
Watch the full interview on YouTube
