Identification of priority sites for water conservation and associated biodiversity in the Limari river basin, northern Chile

For the northern and central regions of Chile, a high risk of drought due to the effect of climate change is projected. Its impacts will depend on the ability of the communities to face this situation in a context of institutions and markets fragility, deterioration of the environment and lack of conservation planning. This article is aimed to share part of the experience of a planning process for conservation and water management along the Limari river basin (30 degrees S), northern Chile. An adaptation of the conservation standards methodology was carried out to promote water systems and their biodiversity protection, defining conservation targets, rank their threats, and identify priority sites for conservation. This was developed during the spring of 2017, and involved bibliographic re- view, geospatial analysis, interviews with scientists and key actors, along with expanded workshops in different areas of the basin. Thus, 11 conservation objects were identified, which are threatened by 17 human activities. In addition, 14 sites of interest for the conservation of water and biodiversity in the Limari river basin were identified. The results are an input for territorial planning and definition of protected wild areas.