Beyond the Border: Understanding Freshwater Resources, Shared Identity, and Transboundary Cooperation in Southern Patagonia

Abstract Rapidly increasing environmental threats that transcend political borders have highlighted the need for collaborative approaches to conservation that extend beyond protected areas. Transboundary conservation operates across political and spatial scales by involving two or more countries cooperating to conserve a border resource or ecosystem. Though the recognition of transboundary conservation is growing, there is limited understanding of the key factors that can support these initiatives or impede them from achieving their goals. This study focused on the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, shared between Chile and Argentina. To gain a greater understanding of transboundary conservation within this landscape, we conducted a case study using semi-structured interviews to explore stakeholder perspectives on key factors influencing transboundary collaboration. The findings from this project have underscored the role of freshwater resources in disputed, transboundary landscapes. Second, local community collaboration, rooted in shared identity, was the basis of existing transboundary collaboration in Southern Patagonia, demonstrating the need to emphasize the local scale in transboundary initiatives. Also, a need was identified for more meaningful engagement and inclusion of both local and Indigenous communities in this transboundary landscape.