Nature in Chile
Approximately 20% of Chilean territory is under various conservation measures, safeguarding a valuable heritage of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Furthermore, Chile's system of marine protected areas is the fifth largest in the world (after the United States, Australia, France, and New Zealand), covering more than 150 million hectares, equivalent to 43% of its exclusive economic zone.
Chile is a country with unique geographical characteristics, boasting rich biodiversity and diverse climates that foster the development of a wide variety of species. It has approximately 31,000 native species, including plants, animals, algae, fungi, and bacteria, distributed throughout the country, enriching its marine, terrestrial, and island ecosystems.
The central and southern regions of the country have been designated a biodiversity hotspot, a term that refers to a territory with high endemism that is also highly threatened and where at least 70% of its primary vegetation has been lost. This area is one of 35 such hotspots worldwide, according to Conservation International.
Nearly 25% of species in Chile are endemic, meaning they are found only in this country. Amphibians, reptiles, and freshwater fish stand out, with endemism rates exceeding 60%.
Half of the world's known cetacean species (43 out of 86 species) live and travel in our seas.
20% of the species of fungi described in the world (3,300 of the almost 16,000 known species) are found in Chile.
Source: Ministry of the Environment, 2019. Sixth National Biodiversity Report of Chile to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Ministry of the Environment. Santiago, Chile, 220 pp.
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Programs for the sea and the land
As the fund becomes established and grows, it hopes to design programs that will cover the country's territory and sea geographically and thematically.
The Chile Nature Fund is already working towards two work programs that will guide its efforts during the first few years:
Marine Protected Areas Program: This program aims to contribute to the effective implementation of conservation efforts within Chile's network of marine protected areas, the fifth largest in the world, in partnership with the government. This will create a concrete and replicable model for the region and the world for the effective protection of over 30% of a country's ocean.
Basins and Water Program: seeks to launch river basin restoration projects that increase resilience through the recovery of nature for the benefit of people.
©Marcelo Flores | WWF
©Jorge Lartundo | MMA
Marine protected areas program
The vision of this program is: “Chile protects its marine natural heritage through a network of functional and effectively managed marine protected areas that contribute to biodiversity conservation and human well-being, and increase the resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems to the effects of climate change.”
The goal is to transform Chile into a global model for achieving the 30 x 30 target in the oceans, promoting the effective management of these areas by 2030.
Watersheds Program
and Waters
The vision of this program is "Chile protects and restores its watersheds for the conservation of biodiversity and provision of water for the benefit of people and nature, contributing to increasing resilience to climate change."
©Jorge Lartundo | MMA
The expected impact of the fund
Strengthen the financing for conservation. Chile is one of the 10 countries in the world that invests the least in nature. This fund hopes to mobilize new resources for conservation in a transparent and effective way, aiding the States so that it can strengthen the public budget in this area.
Articulate actors of society for a broad, inclusive and comprehensive conservation of biodiversity. Environmental funds often fulfill this role of promoting dialogue between actors and fostering collective efforts to enhance the collaborative work for the protection of nature.
Demonstrate the potential for a nature-based economic recovery. In all its conservation projects, the fund aims to bring economic and social benefits to the communities. By measuring this impact and iterating on this model, the fund expects to contribute to the transformation of rural development in Chile, migrating from an extractivist and unsustainable model, to a regenerative one that benefits both people and ecosystems.
©Charif Tala | MMA