Running head: ARICA RECLAMATION ARICA RECLAMATION 5 Reclaiming Arica from Desertification Mia Lin Professor Patricia Redden EV-100-01 Affiliation A lot of this seems to be copied from sources, based on the “voice” of the material; I did not run it through a check for plagiarism yet. There are a lot of unanswered questions that I have indicated in the body of the text. Additionally, I have only noted a few grammatical errors; you have to review it carefully for punctuation in particular. Primarily, you have to indicate how you are going to get the government and individuals to buy into your proposal and what will happen if they don’t. Reclaiming Arica from Desertification Introduction Is Arica only a city or is it both a city and a region? This first paragraph seems to indicate it’s both, but that contradicts the first sentence. Arica is a northern Chile Port City with an approximate population of 220,000 people, a 97% proportion of the northern inhabitants (this isn’t clear – 97% of the total population of Chile, of northern Chile, ??) (Rau, 2006). The city is blessed with strategic positioning as a port city that serves a big portion of the South American mainland. Bolivia is one key beneficiary whose substantive trade is controlled by Arica as its free port. The connection is by road and railway, but further economic reliance stems from the fact that Arica acts as an end station to Bolivia's pipeline system (Rau, 2006). Arica's commercial strategic positioning is enhanced through railway connectivity to Peru and direct access to the Pan-American Highway. Being served by an international airport is an icing to its cake, because global accessibility is guaranteed. The Azapa valley in Arica is famed for development of a year round farming system of agriculture that heavily relies on the advancement in irrigation (does it rely on irrigation or on advances in irrigation techniques? If the latter, what are the advances?) as well as the impressive transport network. However, a mild desert climate has affected the region from further development and settlement. The prevailing settlement pattern is shrinking to urban areas thus discouraging agriculture and land development. This paper explores strategies that would see a change in land usage through proposed reclamation initiatives. Situational Analysis The desert reclamation efforts must not be seen as impossible because desertification is a process that changes once fertile and productive land. A reversal is possible if we consider it took nature a long period to cause the same desert. Patience is essential as initiatives may run through generations if absolute success is to be achieved. A series of combined efforts can provide progress in the state of the environment within Ar ...

1. Running head: ARICA RECLAMATION
ARICA RECLAMATION
5
Reclaiming Arica from Desertification
Mia Lin
Professor Patricia Redden
EV-100-01 Affiliation
A lot of this seems to be copied from sources, based on the
“voice” of the material; I did not run it through a check for
plagiarism yet. There are a lot of unanswered questions that I
have indicated in the body of the text. Additionally, I have only
noted a few grammatical errors; you have to review it carefully
for punctuation in particular. Primarily, you have to indicate
how you are going to get the government and individuals to buy
into your proposal and what will happen if they don’t.

2. Reclaiming Arica from Desertification
Introduction Is Arica only a city or is it both a city and a
region? This first paragraph seems to indicate it’s both, but that
contradicts the first sentence.
Arica is a northern Chile Port City with an approximate
population of 220,000 people, a 97% proportion of the northern
inhabitants (this isn’t clear – 97% of the total population of
Chile, of northern Chile, ??) (Rau, 2006). The city is blessed
with strategic positioning as a port city that serves a big portion
of the South American mainland. Bolivia is one key beneficiary
whose substantive trade is controlled by Arica as its free port.
The connection is by road and railway, but further economic
reliance stems from the fact that Arica acts as an end station to
Bolivia's pipeline system (Rau, 2006). Arica's commercial
strategic positioning is enhanced through railway connectivity
to Peru and direct access to the Pan-American Highway. Being
served by an international airport is an icing to its cake, because
global accessibility is guaranteed. The Azapa valley in Arica is
famed for development of a year round farming system of
agriculture that heavily relies on the advancement in irrigation
(does it rely on irrigation or on advances in irrigation
techniques? If the latter, what are the advances?) as well as the
impressive transport network. However, a mild desert climate
has affected the region from further development and
settlement. The prevailing settlement pattern is shrinking to
urban areas thus discouraging agriculture and land development.
This paper explores strategies that would see a change in land
usage through proposed reclamation initiatives.
Situational Analysis
The desert reclamation efforts must not be seen as impossible
because desertification is a process that changes once fertile and
productive land. A reversal is possible if we consider it took
nature a long period to cause the same desert. Patience is
essential as initiatives may run through generations if absolute
success is to be achieved. A series of combined efforts can
provide progress in the state of the environment within Arica.

3. This stems from physical efforts on the ground as well as
environmental considerations. It should be noted that humidity
and cloud cover are two of the major causes of the ever-
increasing temperatures and extreme heat waves during the
summer periods (Rau, 2006). High temperatures have a double
effect of damaging land and vegetation as well as negatively
affecting the level of human activity through limited work
hours.
Reduction of Air Pollution
In my opinion, Global warming is a cover word used to signify
universal desertification. Global warming is a phenomenon
where the sun rays penetrate the atmosphere to reach the earth
surface but the reflected radiations are blocked by the presence
of some gases and other pollutants from escaping the earth
(Goldstein, 2009). This results into heat entrapment that sees
causes a general increase in global temperatures. Citing this
situation, desert areas must have dense, atmospheric pollution
and the spreading is a direct result of the continued spread of
the pollutants to neighboring atmospheric regions.
(Desertification may result from global forces, not just
atmospheric pollution specifically in the desert area.) Therefore,
reducing air pollution is one way of ensuring sun radiations
onto the earth surface escape the atmosphere after reflection.
Arica must revisit their air pollution preventive initiatives and
intensify areas that compromise carbon emissions and other
pollutants (awkwardly phrased, unless it is a direct quote, in
which case it should be enclosed in quotation marks – does this
mean to reduce carbon emissions?) (Goldstein, 2009). However,
this is a process that will take a long duration of time but it has
a negligible budget (whose budget? Government? Industry?).
Industrialists must be heavily penalized for unsafe emissions
that are not controlled by the set national and global standards.
The resultant fines are to be channeled into land reclamation
efforts in areas adjacent to the factories to act as reminders,
public sensitizers and counter the atmospheric problem from its
geographical proximity (again, a direct quote or awkward

4. phrasing?). Increased precipitation thus humidity in Arica is
likely to originate from air pollution. The particles of various
pollutants act as "nuclei" that form minute skeletons that water
forms around thus increasing humidity (Goldstein, 2009). Some
of the water molecules prove heavy thus drop to the ground as
light rainfall showers that contain the pollutants. Therefore, the
pollutants particles penetrate the earth surface making it saline
and unproductive. (If your problem is desertification, increasing
the rainfall would be beneficial, wouldn’t it? Why do rain
showers make the earth saline? Does the rain contain salts,
which give a saline solution?) Intensifying air pollution
campaigns and sensitizing the public over the environmental
effect will ensure consistency through the Arican generations,
thus possible reduction in desertification. Extensive planting of
deep-rooted trees (is there underground water for these trees?)
is good for reduction of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
because plants use the gas during photosynthesis. The vast
desert land symbolizes wasted resources and capacity of using
this method to contribute toward the control of carbon
emissions.
Arid Land Habitation
The settlement trend is not conducive for desert reclamation
initiatives. The Arican’s are slowly shrinking into urban centers
and seeking other income generating opportunities away from
agriculture (Rau, 2006). Apart from the farming in Azapa
Valley, minimum land activity takes place in the region. The
government has to embark on a program that will reward
individuals for occupying the desert land away from Azapa
valley and engage them in paid land-reclamation initiatives. The
immediate arid land (?) to the urban centers should be the target
for proximity and distribution of resources. Simple (? How deep
is the ground water?) boreholes must be constructed to support
subsistence farming that must have the domestication of
animals. This is necessary because animal waste provides
manure that is vital for the development of water retention
capacity of the soil. Supplementary irrigation options must be

5. availed available to the volunteers to encourage continuous
productivity.
The volunteers must then apply biochar engineering. This
involves the use of solid material such as charcoal obtained
from the carbonization of biomass in soil amendment (what
does this mean?) (Eyhorn, 2007). Biochar is essential in soil
rehabilitation because it improves its ability to hold water and
nutrients. This is a double-edged advantage because biomass
agents would otherwise decompose and naturally contribute to
the percentage of greenhouse gasses that form a big portion of
the air pollutants. (Burning the biomass contributes the same
amount of carbon dioxide as letting it decompose naturally, but
in a shorter time frame. Is that really better?) Biochar is good
at neutralizing the saline state associated with desert land
(why?). Since most of the water used for irrigation comes from
the ocean (you can’t irrigate with ocean water unless it is first
desalinated; you earlier said to use ground water for irrigation),
effective use of Biochar will ensure the acidity level (acidity
and saline content are not the same thing; does biochar control
both? If so, how?) of the land is controlled and eliminated in
both the short and long run. After steady progress is made in the
vicinity of the urban centers, more people should be
decentralized and moved further into the desert land to intensify
the surface coverage mission.
Greenhouse Farming
Greenhouses are simply agricultural structures that are designed
to provide crops with the ideal environment for productivity in
an artificial way. In order to bring meaning to the land
habitation initiatives discussed, the government through
established budgets must meet the volunteers' efforts.
The first development is extensive irrigation that would include
transferring water from the ocean to remote parts of the desert.
This will encourage volunteers to occupy and settle in between
the urban centers and the remote establishments. Once the
seawater reaches the destination, desalination has to take place.
This process is known to be costly, but recent inventions in new

6. solar technologies should be exploited to the fullest level.
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is substantially economical
(Talus, 2014). CPS units use expensive mirrors/ lenses to cover
large areas exposed to sunlight to converge the energy into
restricted areas of interest. (what does this mean?) The
intensity of the sun in the desert guarantees consistency in solar
power generation and sufficient energy to cover the process of
desalination. The surplus power can be used as an incentive of
free electricity for volunteers who consider settlement in remote
desert areas.
As the water is being desalinated, the same can double to
provide the humidity needed in the greenhouses to assist in the
process of cooling the temperature. The second advantage is
contained in use of less energy because the desert temperatures
result into natural evaporation necessary for the distillation
process of desalination (Komoto, 2009). (Natural evaporation
will increase humidity but not provide fresh water. How does
increasing the humidity result in cooler temperatures?
Greenhouses concentrate the heat by trapping it; they don’t give
a cooler temperature.) The fresh water from distillation and
desalination processes is utilized for human consumption as
well as agricultural production. The air used for humidity and
cooling of the greenhouse temperature is periodically expelled
into plantations around the greenhouses. This assists in
environmental regulation (?) around the outdoor plants and
consistency with mass practice (?) will have a lasting impact on
the atmosphere.
Diversity in Development
Greenhouse farming through seawater has various advantages
based on the by-products. The residue from the desalination
process contains a wide range of minerals and salts which can
be directly applied (to what?), dried or processed for
economical use. Dried salts can be used to supplement the
nutritional needs of the volunteer’s farm animals. Both liquid
and solid wastes are good sources of fertilizer to be applied in
the greenhouse as well as outdoor plantations.

7. Harvesting of sodium chloride and calcium carbonate from
the residue can ensure a thriving construction industry is built.
(How are they used in construction? Sodium chloride is the
main component of table salt.) This will make the costs of
constructing residential houses cheaper thus attract more
volunteers. The industry will attract people to the areas seeking
employment leading to extra voluntary manpower. Magnesium
Chloride is also an essential mineral in the assembly of low
energy cooling systems (why?) while lithium is applied in the
production of electrical batteries (Wang, 2009). How much of
these chemicals will realistically be obtained from a
desalination plant?
If bigger reservoirs are established for the seawater before
desalination, fish farming can be practiced to introduce variety
in the animal products in the remote desert areas. Microalgae,
shrimps, shellfish and seaweed, can be produced for both
domestic and commercial use. Even though feasibility is yet to
be determined, possible hydroelectric power can be generated if
sizeable dams for water storage are constructed in place of
reservoirs. (Dams require movement of water to generate
electricity. How would water in the reservoirs move?) The
diversity development perspective is meant to lure individuals
with other areas of interests or professions outside agriculture
or land reclamation into settlement in the remote arid areas.
Concerns
In order to realize the movement of people from urban centers
into desert land, reasonable assurance has to be provided on
productivity. Being a (this is grammatically an unacceptable
phrase) pilot project with limited resources, this is a difficult
factor to implement. There is no way individuals can be moved
from a place with convenient and established social amenities to
remote areas lacking the same. Furthermore, the new settlement
areas need similar social amenities. These include accessible
health centers, security, learning institutions and shopping
centers among other public goods. This calls for either a
provisional budget to carter for these needs or mobilization of

8. volunteers to network, or encourage some of the professionals
in various areas of interest to form a sister program that will
complement our initiative.
As volunteers move out of the urban centers, the project
needs to generate funds to sustain their minimum and basic
requirements in the short-run. This effort should cover their
subsistence as they wait for their first harvest in various
agricultural assignments. The project aims at making available
assorted seeds and seedlings for a variety of drought-resistant
crops for the volunteer farmers. This initiative needs donors and
sponsors that would ensure the main projects are not interfered
with budget-wise.
The project is a national initiative that will need the
political input of various stakeholders. Regulations and statutes
have to be established in governing the management of
resources applied in the process. The government is expected to
be a major contributor because the process affects the welfare
of its citizens. Various professionals and experts in natural
resource management within the government should be allowed
to work on the project to reduce the salary and wage
implications on the budget. Can the government afford to take
these steps? How do you convince them, how much will it cost,
and how many years? People who moved into the urban center
may be totally unwilling to move back out again. How do you
make sure you get enough to make these steps feasible? What
will you do if you can’t get enough “volunteers?”
Conclusion
Fighting the desert is not a short term project and any meantime
(?) solutions must be considered to range between ten to twenty
years. This is because the fight is with the environment and
such time only takes (?) to initiate well-grounded initiatives.
However, effectively the applied efforts work, long term and
lasting solutions will take generations. Just as the desert takes
years to intrude unnoticeably (?), human efforts must be
patiently executed. It is true the Chilean government must pass
legislation against further deforestation efforts. A suitable

9. policy would be to encourage the Aricans to plant five seedlings
of every tree that is felled. (You haven’t mentioned
deforestation up until now. Your earlier discussion indicated
that it was abandoned farms that were leading to desertification.
Where are the trees?) Complementary efforts must include
periodic desert drives that see selected groups of individuals
travel into remote parts of the desert to plant desert resistant
trees as well as replace dried up vegetation. (The question again
comes up of the availability of water.) The Chilean government
must make use of its extensive transport network and strategic
location to attract global investors in the desert reclamation
exercises. (What is the benefit to an investor? Why should a
non-Chilean company invest in these steps?) Previous exercises
in agriculture have flourished in Israel, Egypt and Algeria
among other desert prone countries (Liotta, 2010). Industrial
emissions have to be controlled with various factories made
champions of environmental management initiatives in their
areas. Solace should be found in the fact that the arid lands once
used to flourish in greenery. As long as Azapa valley (What is
this valley? You have been talking only of Arica up to this
point?) thrives in perennial farming (?), there is no reason the
whole area cannot be productively occupied. The strategy is to
lean on voluntary contribution and seek maximum utilization of
counter-productive (this adjective means that the result is NOT
what you want!) benefits from the main project. I believe the
Arican experience will set a precedent that will be globally
epitomized (?). The effort needs focus on lifetime achievement
rather than the budgetary implications.
References
Eyhorn, F. (2007). Organic farming for sustainable livelihoods
in developing countries? The case of cotton in India. Zürich:
vdf, Hochsch.-Verl. An der ETH.
Goldstein, N. (2009). Global Warming. New York: Facts On
File.
Komoto, K. (2009). Energy from the desert: enormous scale
photovoltaic systems: socio-economic, financial, technical and

10. environmental aspects. London; Sterling, VA: Earthscan.
Liotta, P. (2010). Achieving environmental security: ecosystem
services and human welfare. Washington, D.C.: IOS Press.
Rau, D. (2006). Chile. New York: Marshall Cavendish
Benchmark.
Talus, K. (2014). Research Handbook on International Energy
Law. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Wang, L. (2008). Membrane and desalination technologies. New
York: Humana Press.