CONAF, The Nature Conservancy Chile and Chile Nature Fund strengthen strategic alliance for ecosystem protection and fire prevention

The collaboration agreement is intended to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems and communities and to carry out post-fire restoration actions.

In a meeting led by the executive director of the National Forestry Corporation, Rodrigo Illesca Rojas, along with the executive director of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Chile, Juan José Donoso Rodríguez; and the executive director of Fondo Naturaleza Chile - Chile Nature Fund, Eugenio Rengifo Grau; the institutions formalized the signing of a collaboration agreement aimed at strengthening the resilience of ecosystems and communities, as well as strengthening early post-fire action, accelerating the recovery of ecosystems.

This new agreement seeks to respond to the growing global demands for biodiversity conservation and environmental risk management, with special emphasis on preventing forest fires and restoring strategic watersheds, which are fundamental to water security and ecosystem stability.

The Resilient Landscapes to Forest Fires Program (PRIF), promoted by Fondo Naturaleza Chile in partnership with The Nature Conservancy Chile, seeks to scale up the successful community-based forest fire prevention model promoted by CONAF to a national level, as well as strengthen early post-fire action, accelerating ecosystem recovery.

This program is the result of successful collaborative work developed in 2025 by Fondo Naturaleza Chile within the framework of the GEF Landscape Restoration Project, implemented by FAO and executed together with CONAF and the Ministry of the Environment, which allowed the architecture of this mechanism to be designed in 2025. It is conceived as a national, permanent program with public-private governance, with the vision of protecting the ecosystem functions of priority watersheds from forest fires and accelerating their recovery through an operational network of prepared communities and specialized local organizations, linked with public and private actors, simultaneously contributing to the conservation of biodiversity, water security and the well-being of people.

Scope of the alliance

Fire management: Development of actions for the prevention and mitigation of forest fires, incorporating technical guidelines aimed at strengthening the preparation and participation of communities.

Socio-ecological resilience : Promoting initiatives to restore degraded ecosystems that play an essential role in water regulation and biodiversity conservation, reducing the risk of forest fires and strengthening socio-ecological resilience.

Scientific innovation : Implementation of evidence-based strategies for carbon capture and adaptation to climate change.

Authorities highlighted the importance of this strategic alliance to address current and future environmental challenges.

CONAF's executive director, Rodrigo Illesca Rojas , stated that this agreement will "guarantee the conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems, reducing the risk of environmental disasters in a climate crisis scenario."

For his part, the executive director of TNC Chile, Juan José Donoso , highlighted that “this new agreement reinforces a collaboration of more than 20 years that allows us to scale up learning in fire prevention, the restoration and conservation of forests and watersheds, and the protection of communities, based on joint work in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve and the Alerce Costero National Park, proving that when diverse efforts and knowledge are combined, nature and people thrive together.”

“This program reflects the value of combining resources to address a national challenge. Thanks to the support of the GEF and the collaborative work with CONAF, the Ministry of the Environment, and The Nature Conservancy Chile, Fondo Naturaleza Chile is helping to connect the government, civil society, and international cooperation to strengthen fire prevention, community preparedness, and early restoration,” said Eugenio Rengifo, Executive Director of Fondo Naturaleza Chile . “Furthermore, we are laying the groundwork for a permanent fund that will allow us to mobilize resources sustainably, inspired by best international practices, and open to more public, private, and philanthropic organizations joining this effort,” he added.

The agreement includes mechanisms for direct technical coordination between the institutions, with the aim of ensuring efficient, transparent and results-oriented collaboration for the protection of Chilean ecosystems.

Photo credits: CONAF.