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Progress against the Warsaw Framework
NS/AP: National Strategy on Climate Change and Vegetation Resources (Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático y Recursos Vegetacionales, or ENCCRV): Evaluation, implementation, and collection of lessons learned from ENCCRV´s measures (including PES) was completed in 2020, allowing Chile to establish new models of sustainable forest management that can be replicated and scaled up.
FREL/FRL: Progress was achieved in the expansion of the FREL/FRL to the southern ecoregion (Aysén, Magallanes), including the development of density diagrams for certain forest types. Chile also advanced the construction of its carbon map, allowing the country to estimate the carbon content and flow for specific analysis periods.
NFMS: Chile advanced the development of computer applications to estimate land-use change map accuracy and the uncertainty of its FREL/FRL and REDD+ Technical Annex. Design and development of ENCCRV´s Environmental and Social Co-benefits System were also undertaken in 2020.
SIS: Chile advanced the development of the social and environmental safeguards reporting format for the implementation of REDD+ projects and made progress in the system´s semi-automated reports format. Chile also initiated the review and development of the safeguards management module.
REDD+ Implementation
Progress was achieved on determining the log-frame and budget of the +Bosques project (GCF REDD+ RBP project). Work started to specify annual goals and measures to be executed in conjunction with regions (Maule, Biobío, Ñuble, Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Los Lagos).
ENCCRV measures, including four forest-management models (Coquimbo, the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Araucanía, and Magallanes) and five PES projects (Coquimbo, the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Araucanía, and Los Rios) continued implementation in 2020. Analysis of lessons learned will be conducted in 2021 to scale up at the regional and eventually national levels. Three of the forest-management projects are in the process of finalizing activities and closing, pending only the execution of restoration actions in the Araucanía region. In line with the priorities of Chile’s UN-REDD National Programme, PES projects are all currently under implementation.
Challenges and solutions
Chile has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020, with a total of 608,937 cases registered as of December 2020 and 16,608 deaths associated with the virus. Social distancing was adopted as a preventive measure, which affected all the face-to-face activities planned with the beneficiaries, strategic partners, consultants, and workers in general.
The outbreak of community transmission of COVID-19 in Chile began in October 2020 and triggered massive social protests, movement restrictions, and significant economic losses. The mobility restrictions (curfews, quarantines, sanitary belts, among others), affected fieldwork given the access limitations to the territories and impediments to the provision of technical assistance. Carrying out monitoring and evaluation in the field was also a challenge. Supply chains have been interrupted, which made it difficult to acquire goods and services. As a result of these disruptions, a no-cost extension up to September 2021 was requested for Chile’s National Programme and was approved by the UN-REDD Programme Executive Board.
Partnerships
Chile made steps towards the third phase of REDD+ through the launch of the project +Bosques in August 2020. Additionally, it is expected that during 2023 funds from the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) emissions reduction purchase agreement (ERPA)will be incorporated.
The land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector are now included in the integration pillar of the updated NDC, which considers sectors relevant for adaptation and mitigation. The forestry sector stands out, where ambition regarding sectoral commitments has increased. Additionally, two new commitments are included, regarding REDD+ and the National Landscape Restoration Plan.
Work has been carried out in conjunction with the Ministry of the Environment for the review and adjustment of Global Environment Facility Project Preparation Grant stage (Cycle 7) Economic Instruments for Biodiversity, including activities that would allow continuation of PES projects in Los Rios.
The National Landscape Restoration Plan 2021-2030 was formulated by the Ministries of the Environment and of Agriculture. This plan will provide the basis for the development of a bi-ministerial agenda in favor of landscape restoration with an emphasis on forests in the country.
