WHY CHILE AND CALIFORNIA?
Chile and California have remarkably similar landscapes - the Andes and the Sierra, central valleys, coastal mountains, Mediterranean climate zones, the Atacama and the Mojave deserts, essential fisheries and long Pacific coastlines. At similar latitudes South and North we are trans-hemispheric twins - all this in addition to long historic, economic and cultural ties. With the climate crisis upon us Chile and California are struggling with many of the same inter-related challenges.
We have experiences to share and much to learn from each other.
WHY THE CCCx?
The Chile-California Conservation Exchange exists to link people and organizations that are working to better understand and protect the environment in Chile and California. More specifically, the CCCX was created in 2017 to:
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Help build more robust laws, practices and institutions for the conservation and protection of land and water, including the marine environment in Chile,
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Expose California conservation leaders to conservation innovations taking place in Chile,
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Foster ongoing, mutually rewarding collaborations among conservation leaders and practitioners engaged in the protection of land and water in Chile and California, and
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Expand conservation philanthropy in Chile.
Environmental justice, threats to biodiversity and the climate crisis inform all our work.
CCCX TODAY
Pre-covid we held annual conservation conferences in California attended by Chilean government officials, academics and NGO staff. Over the past two years we have produced collaborative reports on coastal resilience and constitutional principles for the custody of nature inspired by the public trust doctrine.
For 2022 and 2023 we have instituted INTERCAMBIO 22/23. The CCCX will facilitate travel to Chile for environmental researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to exchange information and collaborate with Chilean hosts on a variety of topics. Topics under consideration include Coastal Planning, Marine Science, Fresh Water, Biodiversity and Environmental Law & Policy. In addition to expertise, criteria for selecting the experts to travel are (1) demand - the interest of a Chilean organization to meet with and host the person, and (2) the prospect of the participant’s ongoing collaboration with the host organization and others.