MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Environmentalists' concern with Chilean leg of Dakar rally

Chilean environmentalists and public figures this week expressed concern about potential environmental threats posed by the Dakar off-roading rally, scheduled to be held in Chile and Argentina in January.

The critics charged that the event could cause damage to "sensitive" environmental areas, including Region III's renowned "flowering desert." French company Amaury Sport Organisation has traditionally held the Dakar rally in Africa. Prompted by safety concerns, however, the company announced in February that it would host the 2009 race in South America. Although both the start and finish lines will be in Buenos Aires, competitors will motor through parts of central and northern Chile, passing through the coastal cities of Valparaíso, La Serena and Copiapó. While some consider the Dakar a chance to publicize Chile worldwide, others are worried that the event could cause lasting environmental damage to the so-called "flowering desert," an area of the Atacama Desert where anomalous rainfall causes flowers to sprout every few years. Flavia Liberona, the executive director of Chilean environmental NGO Terram, claimed the rally will cause "important environmental damage" in an area that is home to many unique plant species. She accused the government of abandoning its duty to protect the environment, in favor of profit seeking private companies. Liberona added that environmental damage caused by the rally could prevent the area from developing as an environmental tourism zone. Region III Socialist Party (PS) Sen. Ricardo Núñez told The Santiago Times that he agreed with Liberona, and said the flowering desert represents a much more valuable tourist attraction for Region III than the Dakar tour. Núñez expressed concerns that the rally could cause "irreversible damage" to the area by crushing plant life and preventing it from growing again. Núñez explained that he does not believe necessary environmental precautions have been taken during the Dakar planning process and said event organizers should conduct an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) to guarantee that the rally will not damage environmentally vulnerable areas. Radical Party (PRSD) Senator Nelson Ávila, who heads the Senate Environmental Commission, told The Santiago Times that the commission also plans to call for an EIA. Still, CONAMA claims that current laws do not require an EIA since the route will not pass through any zones officially designated as "protected" by the government. The agency confirmed that the race will pass through the flowering desert, but assured that vehicles will only be allowed to traverse "preexisting roads." In addition to installing checkpoints to ensure that competitors do not stray off the designated path in environmentally "sensitive" zones, rally organizers will ensure the safe removal of fuels and waste, CONAMA told The Santiago Times. Earlier this week, the Chilean daily El Mercurio printed an excerpt from a letter in which Dakar Director Etienne Lavigne warned Chiledeportes Director Jaime Pizarro that event planners may have to "reconsider" part of the route if officials prohibit the rally from passing through the flowering desert. The letter then asks Pizarro to help convince environmental authorities to allow the race to proceed as planned. Following the publication of the letter, Lavigne complained that his words had been taken out of context and that ASO has not attempted to pressure Chilean officials, state-owned Chilean daily La Nación reported on Wednesday. Lavigne said the letter also contained promises by Dakar organizers to clean up the route after the competition ends. The Santiago Times