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In August 2025, Laguna Blanca, a town in the biosphere reserve of the same name in the Province of Catamarca, Argentina, was hit by an extreme Zonda wind event, with gusts of up to 160 km/h.
The storm affected approximately 600 people in Laguna Blanca and nearby dispersed settlements, mainly from Indigenous Diaguita and Kolla communities.
The event caused significant damage to the infrastructure, including roof losses, structural damage, and collapses affecting homes, textile workshops, and community infrastructure such as the local school, affecting approximately 80% of the population.
The livelihoods of these communities are based on pastoral activities, while artisanal textile production using vicuña fiber is one of the main sources of household income. It forms part of a knowledge system transmitted from generation to generation, integrating culture, nature, and the local economy.
In response to a request from provincial and local authorities, the UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo mobilized an emergency technical mission to support reconstruction efforts and strengthen the resilience of household and community infrastructure.
The mission was carried out within the framework of the project “UNESCO’s multi-hazards and multisectoral disaster response for Build Back Better – 537GLO2000”, funded by Japan.
“The Zonda wind not only destroyed homes and workshops but also puts at risk the continuity of cultural and productive practices that are essential for the communities. At UNESCO, we are working to ensure that reconstruction is safer and more resilient, without losing the cultural identity that characterizes Laguna Blanca,” said Ernesto Fernández Polcuch, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo.
Reconstruction with Cultural Identity
The technical mission, carried out in December 2025, brought together specialists in adobe and stone architecture, as well as structural engineering. In collaboration with local authorities, communities, and the UNESCO Montevideo team, they assessed the damage and developed recommendations for reconstruction.
The work focused on the design of Artisanal Textile Productive Units (UPTAs), which the Government of Catamarca plans to build for affected artisans.
These units will be dedicated to weaving, the preparation of natural dyes, and the display of commercial products. They are designed to withstand climatic and seismic risks while respecting the use of traditional materials.
Key results include:
- Development of a manual for the sustainable use and maintenance of adobe and stone constructions;
- Proposals to improve construction practices and the use of local materials;
- Architectural designs that integrate safety and resilience criteria while maintaining cultural identity;
- Technical recommendations for the construction of 30 UPTAs, validated through community participation.
During one of the participatory workshops organized by the UNESCO mission, Mabel Gutiérrez, chief of the Laguna Blanca community, stated: “We are losing the tradition of carrying out mingas—collective construction practices in which we used to work collaboratively to build our homes. This is an opportunity to work together again in the construction of safe housing.”
Joint Effort and Intersectoral Integration
This initiative was developed in close collaboration with the Government of the Province of Catamarca, local governments, and indigenous communities, and contributes to ongoing reconstruction efforts in Laguna Blanca.
It also aligns with the Ruta del Telar initiative, which links culture, nature, and resilience in northwest Argentina.
Tania Schonhals, Secretary of Investment Planning and International Relations of the Ministry of Investment and Development of the Government of Catamarca, emphasized: “The results of this support from UNESCO will serve as the foundation for our plan to rebuild the damaged infrastructure in the Laguna Blanca Biosphere Reserve”.
The effort, led by the Natural Sciences Sector of the UNESCO Montevideo Office, complements actions carried out by the Culture Sector and will be reinforced by upcoming support through UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, aimed at strengthening the sustainable management of vicuña populations in the Biosphere Reserve.
Replicability in Northwest Argentina
The work undertaken in Laguna Blanca provides a model of resilient reconstruction that can be replicated in other communities across northwest Argentina, where extreme climatic conditions pose recurring challenges.
This initiative directly supports the affected communities and aligns with UNESCO’s multi-hazard response priorities.
By integrating ancestral knowledge with modern technical solutions, reconstruction not only repairs damage but also prepares communities to face future extreme events, following the guiding principle of “build back better.”
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-and-catamarca-region-promote-resilient-reconstruction-laguna-blanca-biosphere-reserve?hub=701
