What if the Concón Estuary and the surrounding wetland ecosystem were restored to enhance the wellbeing of local flora, fauna, and community?
The Concón Estuary is a vital transitional zone between the Aconcagua River and the Pacific Ocean. It boasts rich biodiversity and a dynamic landscape that changes throughout days, seasons, and years. However, human activities including — urban development, pollution from the ENAP oil refinery, Asfalcom cement factory, sand mining, waste dumping, and unregulated recreation — have placed significant pressure on the ecosystem.
This project envisions the gradual decommissioning of the ENAP oil refinery and reviving the estuary as a resilient coastal commons. Through community-led catalyst modules, it initiates site-specific interventions to restore habitats, renaturalize the river meander, and foster green economies through clean energy transition. Guided by the principles Restore, Reconnect, Renew, the estuary becomes a living system—transforming a place of extraction into one of regeneration, stewardship, and collective futures shaped by climate and community.
