Chile
| Capital | Santiago |  |
| Official language | Spanish | |
| Population | 16,432,700 | |
| Area | 756,950 km² |
In the frame of the project WAFLA Chile, through the Earthaction Network (EAN-Santiago), four localities among the communes of Ovalle and Punitaqui have been defined to be potentially transformed by means of the implementation of integrated micro-watershed management systems and the application of agroforestry practices. Both communes are located within the dry land of the Region of Coquimbo, between 29º 02' and 32º 16' South latitude and at 69º 49' West longitude, up to the Pacific Ocean.
Desertification status
The region of Coquimbo can be divided in four stages for this analysis:
a. - Low lying ground: In this sector (5% of the regional surface) the following negative processes can be mentioned:
Salinization of the soils in the last sections of irrigated valleys (Elqui, Limarí, Choapa).
Irrigation practices that do not consider the soil conservation, except for those that use more technology (irrigation by dripping and others).
Extension of urban areas, replacing high productivity agricultural land (Coquimbo, La Serena, Ilapel, Salamanca).
b. - Agricultural Communities: The biggest environmental damages are found in the agricultural communities, as result of cultivation in dry land with very steep slope, excessive shepherding and firewood extraction; fundamentally, due to the organization systems that are opposite to the resources usage (individual usufruct of the resources of community property). All the identified WAFLA areas are located in these communities.
The highest desertification rates happens in the south of this region where the agro-climatic conditions are more favourable for crops adapted to dry lands and the existence of a major coverage of native vegetation (firewood, forage). As it advances towards the north (higher dryness) the current damages decrease due to lower population density.
c. - Dry lands in private property: The present damages by desertification process are not considered alarming, except those sectors having native vegetation of economic, industrial (keel bark) or energetic interest (firewood for industrial applications, dehydrators, bakeries and charcoal production). On the other hand, there exist vegetable species that are not yet incorporated in The National System of Protected Areas of the State (SNASPE) and that are vulnerable to the processes and conditions mentioned before. The mining activity represents, in many cases, negative actions regarding water contamination used for irrigation and human consumption, lagoons contamination and strong modifications of the landscape, altering the vegetable cover of the steep mountains.
Finally, the frequent forest fires in the South coastal sector of the region, constitute an important degradation factor of the important native vegetation (trees and shrubs).
Targeted regions
Sector LOS TRIGOS: (Agricultural community "Los Trigos")
They evaluated and visited the Agro-forestry experiences (Agro-forestry Orchards) and the Plantations of fodder species as Acacia saligna and/or Atriplex nummularia
Sector CERRO BLANCO: (Agricultural community "Cerro Blanco")
This Agricultural Community has experience in forest plantations, use of underground water, and micro-watershed management focussed on erosion reduction, by means of soil conservation practices and reforestation in contour lines. There are no agro-forestry orchards in this community.
Sector RINCONADA DE PUNITAQUI (Agricultural Community "Rinconada de Punitaqui")
Community with agro-forestry orchards, Atriplex plantations, existence of a forest nursery and partial micro-watershed management (only where the wells and slopes are located).
Best agroforestry and water management practices
In the identified communities, all the families possess wells or treadmills, constructed under a form of big holes dug by excavators; they are slightly deep (of approximately 10 meters deep), with a storage capacity that fluctuates between 4.000 and 6.000 litres. They present a recovery capacity between 8 and 18 hours, according to quality of the underground water.
The underground water is kept according to the rainfall in the upper parts of the watershed, the soil infiltration and the moisture (in the form of dew) that is received by the existing vegetation in the foggy areas also called "camanchacas" in the highest parts of the mountain (sector where it is located the National Park Fray Jorge and the mountain chain of the transversal valleys).
In the coastal localities exposed to the action of the camanchaca, the trees and shrubs also help to diminish the effects of the drought, acting like "fog-trap", delivering thus the water received to the soil, conducing it by the branches and trunks and of the dripping of his leaves. In upper part of the mountain ranges, this skill is used by means of nylon meshes or "type rashel" and people manage to take considerable quantities of water from the haze and the dew.
Some proprietors usually have two or three wells and they locate them in places where they think there are underground waters; in this perception, the existing vegetation plays an important role, the presence of gorges and also, their experience. In the area does not exist the classical "artesian well" and there are very few experiences of use of toecaps (since electric power and specialized equipment it is needed).
Networks and associations
Social basic organizations are those groups that represent the local, population and sectorial interests, like, for example, centres for mothers, for neighbours, youth associations, sports groups, and others similar.
The existing organizations in the WAFLA identified areas are Agricultural Communities in Region IV, which existence goes back in the 17th century, when the Spanish Crown granted his soldiers with lands concessions in compensation to distinguished services.
In particular, we talk about the agricultural communities: Comunidad Agrícola "Los Trigos"; Comunidad Agrícola Cerro Blanco; Comunidad Agrícola Rinconada de Punitaqui.