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Community Prevention on the Rise: Biobío Reaches 611 Organized Neighborhood Committees

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With the aim of enhancing the role of communities in wildfire prevention, the Biobío Regional Council will drive a $3 billion investment through the new Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Program. The initiative will last 24 months and will be executed by CONAF, in coordination with the region's municipalities.

The program includes the creation of 55 community prevention committees in the communes with the highest history of wildfires. These groups will be oriented towards strengthening local capacities through actions such as:

1. Planning and early response, including alerts, preventive patrols, and coordination during emergencies.
2. Vegetation and waste reduction, through firebreaks, grassland management, and other measures to decrease risks and prevent the spread of fire.
3. Preventive education and communication, to promote safe behaviors and greater awareness of territorial risks.

This investment will reinforce the work that CONAF already carries out with nearly 300 communities in Biobío and will integrate learnings from successful models implemented in the region. Among them, the Community Prevention Network stands out, which has sustainably reduced the occurrence of wildfires in 29 communes thanks to neighborhood organization, permanent advice from specialists, continuous work throughout the year, and community preparedness for emergencies.

The president of Corma Biobío and Ñuble, Alejandro Casagrande, valued the approval of the program, stating that "this commitment from the Regional Government, the councilors, and CONAF is a concrete signal that the region understands that prevention saves lives. It is the most effective tool to face one of the main threats to the forestry sector: wildfires. With this boost, municipalities, CONAF, and communities will be able to anticipate fire. That is the path we must scale nationally, with Biobío as an example."

From the Community Prevention Network, its coordinator Myriam Mellado highlighted the impact this territorial expansion will have. "Our eight-year experience demonstrates that it is possible to reduce the occurrence of wildfires when communities organize, acquire knowledge, and actively participate. This project will allow more territories to strengthen themselves, advance in resilience, and be better prepared in the face of risk."