Adaptation Fund Project Story: Water Management and Agriculture in Chile

Smallholder farmers in the vulnerable O’Higgins Region of Chile are adapting to drought and water scarcity in innovative ways. A Direct Access project funded by the Adaptation Fund and implemented by Chile’s Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AGCID or La Agencia Chilena de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo, the accredited national implementing entity of the Fund for Chile) is supporting communities in eight municipalities of O’Higgins in incorporating rooftop rainwater catchment tanks, drip irrigation systems, greenhouses, innovative farming equipment and climate-smart training to enhance production by saving water and fostering diversified crops. Some of the approaches are being replicated in other parts of Chile similarly impacted by climate change. The project further provides timely agroclimatic information in user-friendly ways to farmers through local meeting houses. It also fosters agricultural education in rural schools and is empowering women who have been particularly affected by the impacts of climate change. It is aligned with Chile’s national adaptation plans, building national adaptive capacity while enhancing the lives of small farmers. It is further a good example of the Fund’s tangible work on the ground to vulnerable communities across the globe as COP 25 in Santiago approaches later this year.

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Please also find a new companion written story about the Chile project in English and Spanish at the bottom of this page.