The strategy was presented in the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) held in Morocco on November 7, 2016 with the purpose of focusing efforts of the countries “party” to the convention in actions against climate change.

The official presentation of the National Strategy for Climate Change and Vegetal Resources of Chile (ENCCRV) was made with the presence of the Ministries of Agriculture, Carlos Furche, the Environment, Pablo Badenier, the Executive Director of CONAF, Aarón Cavieres, the representative in Chile of the World Bank, Gastón Blanco, congress people, heads of public services and representatives of the Consular body and Ambassadors.

In the ceremony, held on November 3, 2016 in the National Conference of Santiago and within a broad frame of public from all the regions of the country, the Executive Director of CONAF explained that the main focus of the strategy is to reduce the social, environmental and economic vulnerability generated by climate change, desertification, land degradation and drought on vegetal resources and human communities, contributing to mitigating climate change, promoting the reduction and capture of greenhouse gas emissions in Chile.

“Furthermore, it firmly inserts in the forestry policy we have defined as a country, also with high participation. We are addressing the causes of deforestation and we are setting goals that will enable us to mitigate the effects of climate change, with goals of 140,000 hectares of forestation, especially of native species, 30,000 hectares of restoration, especially in zones damaged by forest fires and 16,000 hectares of forest management for sustainable production of firewood,” pointed out Cavieres.

Along that same line, the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Furche, stated that public institutionality is required to coordinate in a more efficient way what we need to do in agriculture and forestry matters. “We need to seriously focus on our perspective towards the future in order that we do not compromise our future development and the quality of life of millions of people,” said the Minister.

Furthermore, Carlos Furche indicated that we must pursue a sustainable agriculture to fight climate change since “climate change is already a reality and in this respect, we need a better balance between our productive systems and environmental protection and this implies environmental sustainability, carbon footprint and water footprint and, thus, produce more, but with less use of natural resources.”

The National Strategy for Climate Change, as explained by the authorities, implies a consolidation and at the same time, a change with respect to the way in which Chile and, in particular, the public sector has been facing the management of vegetal resources and the related nature components, through CONAF.

In turn, the Minister of the Environment, Pablo Badenier, expressed that “this strategy is essential in the commitment of Chile to greenhouse gas reduction and the fight against climate change, since only the reforestation of 100,000 hectares will mean reducing and capturing around 600,000 tons of CO2 as of year 2030 and a similar figure can increase twice as much this capture and reduction. Furthermore, this is a strategy built with broad participation.”

Measures, resources, communities
The strategy establishes eight activities that contain 26 action measures to address the causes of deforestation, degradation of forests and of other vegetal resources, as well as the barriers that prevent or interfere negatively in the implementation of activities such as restoration, conservation, sustainable management, enrichment and regeneration of resources.

The total Budget estimated for the administration and implementation of the activities is 433 million dollars for nine years. This budget comprises 16% of unconditional costs, for which the respective institutions across the country have a budget. The remaining 84% corresponds to costs conditioned to funding availability from different national and international sources. CONAF and other State institutions are already working on leveraging this additional funding.

With regard to the small owners and indigenous communities, the strategy seeks not only to keep the priority focus the State has shown to support these sectors, but also to establish institutional, participative and financial mechanisms that may enable them to be actors and main beneficiaries of the results-based payment systems associated to the environmental services that may be established.

“The foregoing is the result of the participative approach used across the country for both the formulation and the validation of the Strategy, processes that have been highly valued by persons representing different interests in the society”, sustained Aarón Cavieres, highest authority of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF).

It should be noted that the Swiss Cooperation SDC, through the NAMA Project and Andean Forests, has been providing support and working coordinately with CONAF in the development of the National Strategy for Climate Change and Vegetal Resources, through the implementation of Mitigation Action Plans, as an effective instrument to mitigate Greenhouse Gas emissions and strengthening the support and cooperation in the Andes to promote the implementation of strategic mitigation and adaptation actions as an effective instrument to face climate change from the forestry sector, fostering conservation and the development of forestry resources in the Andes towards reducing their vulnerability.

We share the video of the official launching ceremony:

Video (Spanish)

Source: CONAF, Chile

Related links:
NAMA Project, project sheet, Embassy of Switzerland, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Web National Forestry Corporation, CONAF
Video Presentation of the NAMA Project

Andean Forest, project sheet, Embassy of Switzerland, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Web Andean Forests Program
Video Andean Forests Program