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Chile’s public consultation on mountain policy

27.01.2017

Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, has announced that Chile will be the first country in South America to have a national public policy on sustainable mountain development. To decide the final policy, Chile has launched a public consultation, encouraging Chilean citizens to make suggestions and help shape the government’s priorities, both online and in person.

The announcement comes after a decade’s work by the National Mountain Committee, which is comprised of representatives from 14 government institutions. The committee was created in 2007, the same year in which Chile joined the Mountain Partnership, to coordinate mountain policies in a way that would comply with international agreements. Chile also participates in the Andean Initiative of the Mountain Partnership, along with Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, which promotes a regional and integrated policy for the conservation and sustainable use of mountains.

The Andes Mountains stretch along the eastern border of Chile and are considered a symbol of the country’s national identity. They also contain important mineral resources, such as copper, and vital fresh water reserves that are increasingly threatened by climate change. Chile’s mountains are also a major tourist attraction and contain biodiversity hotspots: the Torres del Paine National Park in southern Patagonia is an example of both. They are also the home of many indigenous peoples, including the Pewenche people of the mountainous Araucanía region. For these reasons, the Chilean government has determined that a participatory, nation-wide public policy for sustainable mountain development is a priority.

Opening the policy proposal to a public consultation ensures that stakeholders from the different regions and segments of society may actively participate in shaping a policy that will respond to their needs and worldviews.

The policy proposal, which is available online, is divided into thematic sections, including indigenous knowledge, environmental protection, economic development and compliance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development among others. From 20 December 2016 to 21 February 2017, Chilean citizens can submit comments online through the Ministry of Environment’s website, where the comments will be publically visible. Responses can only be submitted after inserting personal information and a RUT, or taxpayer identification number.

According to Heraldo Muñoz, this consultation is just the first step in bringing together the multiple actors, cultures and economic activities who are stakeholders in sustainable mountain development. “Protecting them”, he says, “is necessary in order for our country’s development to be sustainable.”

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See the online consultation 

Photo: Carla Marchant