Between January 20 and 24, the team of the project “Strengthening Capacities and Civic Participation for Climate-Resilient Communities in Chile” carried out its first field visit to Alto del Carmen, initiating a collaborative process with the municipality to develop its Climate Change Communal Action Plan (PACCC). The commune, located in the Atacama Region in Chile’s “norte chico” zone, has a population of just over 5,000 inhabitants and is situated more than 700 kilometers from Santiago. The delegation was composed of representatives from the project’s participating institutions: Project Manager Antonia Samur, from Columbia’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP); Chris Molinari from the Columbia Global Center Santiago; Gemita Navarrete and Danilo Miranda from the Institute for Disaster Resilience (Itrend), as well as Javiera Gárate and Javier Romero from the Center for Climate and Resilience Science (CR2).
The work began with an assessment of the planning capacities within the PACCC management team, followed by a mapping of key stakeholders and the identification of priority areas for technical assistance. Based on this diagnosis, four main areas of work were defined: gathering community perceptions on climate change, analyzing climate data and its impacts, integrating a socio-environmental justice approach into planning, and identifying funding sources for adaptation measures.
During the visit, various activities were carried out in collaboration with the municipality and the community. Surveys were conducted to understand residents' perceptions of climate change and how they believe it will affect their lives. These surveys took place in strategic locations such as the Cultural Center and the commune’s CESFAM (Family Health Center). In addition, in-depth interviews were held with representatives from different sectors, including firefighters, livestock herders, farmers, neighborhood associations, pisco and pajarete producers, and tourism industry members, to better understand how they have perceived climate changes, what effects they have experienced in their activities, and what adaptation strategies they have implemented.
Another key activity was the community risk mapping workshop, where residents identified major socio-environmental threats in the area, such as landslides, floods, heat waves, heavy rains, wildfires, and droughts. Critical infrastructure, including health centers, fire stations, schools, and other vulnerable structures, was also georeferenced to generate key inputs for adaptation planning in the PACCC.
Alongside the interviews and workshops in the municipal center, the team conducted field visits to the San Félix and El Tránsito valleys, reaching remote localities—some more than 50 kilometers from Alto del Carmen—to gain first-hand insight into the realities of those living in isolated areas, who face greater challenges in accessing resources and services.
Work in Alto del Carmen will continue in the first week of April with new activities, including community workshops on climate data and its local impacts, as well as a training session for municipal staff focused on climate change management at the local level.
Additionally, as part of the project's established plan, the team will travel to the municipality of San José de Maipo in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago during the first week of February for its first field visit to the area.
