Informative Note 05 NATIONAL STRATEGY ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENCCRV VEGETATION RESOURCES Santiago, December, 2016 In this edition Update on the Risk of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought in Chile, within the framework of the 2016-2030 National Action Program to Combat Desertification (PANCD-Chile) and the 2017-2025 National Strategy on Climate Change and Vegetation Resources (ENCCRV) Climate Change and Environmental Services Unit (UCCSA) Forest Development and Promotion Management Department (GEDEFF) National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) Chilean Ministry of Agriculture Informative Note No 5 | 2016 2 CONAF and Sud Austral: Risk of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought in Chile National Strategy on Climate Change and Vegetation Resources ISSN: 0719-7446 National Forestry Corporation December, 2016 Santiago, Chile 3 Informative Note No 5 | 2016 Update on the Risk of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought in Chile, within the framework of the 2016-2030 National Action Program to Combat Desertification (PANCD- Chile) and the 2017-2025 National Strategy on Climate Change and Vegetation Resources (ENCCRV) Acknowledgements We would like to thank the United Nation’s Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Environment Fund (GEF) for their contribution in funding this study, which was awarded by public tender to Sud Austral SpA under the title “2016-2030 National Action Program to Combat Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought, PANCD-Chile” ID No. 633-66LE14. Formulated by CONAF and Sud Austral Consulting SpA. 4 CONAF and Sud Austral: Risk of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought in Chile Table of Contents Introduction 6 Materials and Method 12 Cartographic Information 12 Description of variables 13 Drylands 13 Current risk of erosion 15 Forest Fires 20 Socio-economic Factor 20 Description of models 21 Desertification Risk Model 21 Land Degradation Risk Model 22 Drought Index 23 Integration of the risk of Desertification, 23 Land degradation and drought (DLDD) Results 24 Risk of desertification 24 Risk of Land Degradation 26 Drought Index 28 Integration of the risk of desertification, 30 Land degradation and drought (DLDD) Conclusions 32 Bibliography 34 Definitions 36 Acronyms 37 ANNEX 1 38 5 Informative Note No 5 | 2016 Introduction and degradation is a significant factor in Chile has joined the UN’s Convention to Combat L climate change at a global level, since it Desertification (UNCCD), considering the concept produces Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and has reduces the potential of soil carbon sequestration also ascribed to the United Nations Framework in production systems (Emanuelli et al., 2015). Soil Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopting carbon accounts for the third largest carbon stock the REDD+2 approach, which considers positive in the planet, after oceans (38,400 gigatons, Gt) and policies and incentives for reducing emissions from geological strata (4,130 Gt), estimated at 2,500 Gt, deforestation and forest degradation, along with surpassing the stock contained in the atmosphere promoting the increase of forest carbon sinks. and the biosphere (1,320 Gt). Soil organic carbon accounts for approximately 1550 Gt, with the In turn, the country has focused its 2017- difference being inorganic carbon (Lal, 2004; 2025 National Strategy on Climate Change and Milyan, 2015). One of the effects of desertification Vegetation Resources (ENCCRV) on fulfilling is that it may transfer large amounts of carbon the general objective of: “Reducing the social, into the atmosphere; estimates indicate that every environmental and economic vulnerability year, drylands release 300 million tons of carbon, generated by climate change, desertification, land which is equivalent to approximately 4% of global degradation and drought on vegetation resources emissions when considering all sources (Niemeijer and human communities that depend on these for et al., 2005). The significance and speed of these increasing ecosystem resilience and contributing land degradation and desertification processes towards mitigating climate change, thus promoting is such, that they have become a global issue, as the reduction and capture of greenhouse gas can be seen in the interactive1 map, prompting the emissions in Chile”. creation of different international instances aimed at addressing this situation from an environmental, social and economic point of view. 1 Online Interactive map: www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/304/5677/1614 2 REDD+ refers to the use of positive policies and incentives for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and supporting the conservation existing forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks(+) in developing countries. 6 CONAF and Sud Austral: Risk of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought in Chile National Strategy on Climate Change and Vegetation Resources (ENNCRV) Set of direct and facilitating action measures which -based on a national technical and participatory formulation process- focus on addressing Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DLDD) through the proper management of vegetation resources in order to avoid or reduce the historical rates of deforestation, devegetation and degradation of native forests, xerophytic formations and other vegetation formations, along with promoting the recovery, afforestation, revegetation and sustainable management of Chile’s native resources. The Chilean territory is seriously affected by Desertification has been classified as one of desertification, land degradation and drought, Chile’s most severe environmental issues. The therefore it is urgent to implement measures for arid and semi-arid territories affected by these reducing their effects on the quality of life of its processes exceed 60% of the national territory, inhabitants. During Chile’s first desertification concentrating the greatest impacts on land, assessment -conducted in 1978- an estimated biodiversity, and agroforestry and livestock area of 48,334,300 hectares was affected system productivity in general. This is why the by it, equivalent to almost two thirds3 of rural population living in these environments the continental territory (CONAF, 1999). suffer consequences in a direct manner, with 3 Considering a surface area of 75,250,200 hectares, according to the Military Geographic Institute (IGM). 7 Informative Note No 5 | 2016 high rates of poverty, lack of opportunities and phenomenon in some of its categories. strong migration rates (Frau et al., 2010). According to CONAF (1999), the rural population affected by desertification within the ‘severe’ In order to prioritize the issue at a national category accounted for 365,532 persons. On the level , Universidad de Chile (2013) stated that other hand, the ‘moderate’ category accounted the regions with the most complex overview for around 657,726 persons. -classified as severe- are: Aysen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo (60.0%); Magallanes Currently, Chile’s 2016-2030 PANCD is aligned and the Chilean Antarctica (55.6%); Coquimbo with the UNCCD’s Ten-year Strategy, the LDN (53.3%); Antofagasta (44.5%); Valparaíso (40.0%); initiative, and the United Nation’s Sustainable la Araucanía (36,7%); and El Maule, with 27.6%. Development Goals (SDGs). In parallel, the In addition, scientists predict that by 2030, in the Chile’s 2016-2030 PANCD is raised in a latitudes between Arica and Chiloe, an average complementary manner and in accordance with warming of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius will occur, the country’s actions within the framework of with an intensification of the aridity of northern the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Chile, a desert advance towards the south, a the UNFCCC and the ENCCRV, implemented by water reduction in central Chile, a precipitation CONAF in the entire national territory. increase in the south, along with glacier reductions (Universidad de Chile, 2013). The provisions of the 2016-2030 PANCD-Chile contribute to the fulfilment of the three specific In light of the above, and given the fact that objectives of the ENCCRV, which are: Chile is a member country of the UNCCD, with the support of institutions such as the 1. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the To contribute to the fulfillment of the United Nation’s Environment Program (UNEP), commitments assumed by Chile in terms of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) and vegetation resources before the UNFCCC, CONAF, the National Action Program to Combat UNCCD, CBD and other national and international Desertification (PANCD) was implemented in instances. 1997 - through an Advisory Committee- and was coordinated by CONAF (Salinas, 2011). The PANCD allowed channeling the policies needed 2. in order to combat desertification; for example, To Influence in technical, political and financial out of a total of 36.9 million eroded hectares, decision-making that allows positioning the role 4 million have been intervened since 1998 of vegetation resources with regard to mitigation through MINAGRI’s development instruments and adaptation to climate change, and the fight (Alfaro, 2014). against desertification, land degradation and drought as priority axes within the sectoral According to the map of desertification in Chile, development policies. published by CONAF in 1999 (Alfaro, 2014), 270 (93%) out of 290 rural communes accounted for 3. some level of desertification, land degradation or threat of drought: