Chile's Atacama desert in bloom

The Atacama is the most arid desert in the world outside the polar regions. Some parts go for decades without a single drop of rain. Now, though, the desert is glowing a dazzling pink, after heavy rainfall allowed thousands of mallow flowers to bloom. The Atacama desert stretches for 1,200 kilometers down the Pacific coast of northern Chile.

This natural phenomenon usually only occurs every five to seven years. The seeds lying dormant in the desert sand need heavy rainfall in order to germinate and, eventually, blossom. When spring arrives in the southern hemisphere, this otherwise barren landscape is then blanketed with the pink, white and yellow flowers of more than 200 species of plant.

In 2022, however, the Atacama is blooming for the second year in succession. Environmental experts say climate change is contributing to the increased frequency of the "flowering desert" phenomenon. The animal world is delighted: Insects, birds and other creatures, like this lizard, have come to the flower-filled regions of the Atacama in search of food.

The Chilean president Gabriel Boric (right) visited the Atacama at the weekend, and clearly enjoyed the natural spectacle. Standing in a sea of flowers, he announced that the Chilean government intends to establish a national park in the southern part of the desert. "We have a duty to protect not just the flowering desert, but the Atacama as a whole," Boric declared.

On his visit to the Atacama, Boric described the flowering desert as unique in the world. The precise area of the national park has not yet been defined, but it already has a name: "Desierto Florido"—"Flowering Desert" in English. The president said the park would conform to Chile's highest standards of environmental protection. A decree to implement the decision is set to be passed in early 2023.

The native plants of the Atacama region are very skilled survivors. Only species that have adapted to extreme conditions can grow here. The majority of flowers and plants in the desert are endemic, meaning that they do not exist anywhere else outside this region. This makes protecting them even more important.

It's not just flowers that bloom: This cactus will soon blossom because of the rain. The spectacular flowering of the Atacama desert depends on the climatic pattern known as El Nino, when the surface waters of the Pacific warm up along the Chilean coast. Sea fog, which usually dissipates very quickly, takes up more moisture, then blows inland and rains down over the desert.

The stunning blossoms attract large numbers of tourists to the barren region. Like this woman, they are keen to photograph the natural phenomenon. By creating a national park, the Chilean government is also hoping to promote tourism in the Atacama desert.

Visitors to the desert are required to adhere to strict regulations to protect the delicate ecosystem. They are not allowed to leave paths or pick flowers, for example. However, environmental organizations have criticized the government's plan, warning that tourism still has a negative impact on nature.