Laguna Blanca Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1982, in Argentina. With altitudes that can reach almost 6,000 metres above sea level, the Laguna Blanca Biosphere Reserve features a typical arid Andean landscape, with a saline lake in a main depression and surrounding rocky formations. It is located in the province of Catamarca, in the north-west of Argentina. Its creation in 1979 aimed at the conservation of the vicuña, which was endangered due to poaching. This goal led to the development of sustainable handling strategies, including reviving the Chaku, an ancient Inca practice of capturing, shearing and releasing vicuñas. In Laguna Blanca’s transition areas, residents are mostly public servants or workers in the developing tourism industry.