The area has numerous mining industries which also use a lot of water.

Indigenous groups are opposed to mining activities in their region.

One hundred kilometers away, a small protest takes place.

It is against a geothermal project principally aimed at providing energy to the mining industry in the region.

Protestor, said, "We want to defend our territory, our land, our natural resources."

Biologists also agree that the demand from the mining industry for water and a changing climate may cause further problems in the future.

Eduardo Rodriguez Ramirez, Biologist, said, "Water represents for us a critical theme: on one hand, it rains less every day, on the other hand every day brings more pressure from expanding mining industries using water. Without doubt, Water is scarce in the Salt Lake of Atacama".

The country's National Forest Corporation says the population of the endangered Flamingo Andino remains steady.

But with mining in the area, no one knows what the long term effects will be.

(CCTV July 21, 2009)