Resource information
This country note briefly summarizes
information relevant to both climate change and agriculture
in Chile, with focus on policy developments (including
action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. Like
most countries in Latin America, Chile has submitted one
national communication to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with a second one
under preparation. Agriculture contributes little, in
relative terms, to total green house gas (GHG) emissions and
the mitigation potential in the sector is mainly related to
afforestation and the sustainable management of native
forests. Agriculture is highly vulnerable to weather
extremes, in particular in the central parts of the country,
where water scarcity is an issue. Desertification and soil
erosion are some of the other major problems facing the
country, though measures for reducing erosion are yielding
positive results. A greater emphasis on developing and
applying adequate insurance mechanisms can be placed for
better management of public resources in light of natural
disasters in the agriculture sector.