Currently the Atacama Desert is called the driest in the world and it is easy to see that there are large areas with little or no biota, at least visible. But was it always like this? This area has not changed much from the point of view of being a very arid and inhospitable ecosystem; where, naturally, the main problem is the availability and quality of water, poor quality until now; affecting agricultural possibilities. In Philippi's vision, more professional than his predecessors, there is a great diversity of life and ecosystems; and resources, although limited, are important. However, the level of regional exploitation has not considered sustainability or a correct assignment of importance to resources. Since the 19th century, wild and cultivated plant biodiversity has been notably lost; about the latter, in the Copiapó Valley today only olive and vine predominate; the other cultivated species are either not economically unimportant or have disappeared. Sustainability is a rather utopian proposal, as long as awareness of survival is not implemented and that is not possible with the increasing population. Thus, the usable biological natural resources were devastated since the time of mining growth as the main reason and the rest is secondary. The problems of the generation of agricultural products and pollution from industrial processes currently persist in the Copiapó valley. Sustainability, far from being a euphemism, is a survival mechanism for all species in this arid zone, including Homo sapiens. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.