Diario Financiero | Recovering the Mapocho River Urban Wetland

Madam Director:

Like its once torrential flow, the Mapocho River’s importance to the lives of Santiago residents has weakened over the years. Entire generations have grown up seeing the river as an unwelcome neighbor, synonymous with filth, social division, and disaster.

Despite this situation and the promises to restore this body of water, today we see significant efforts to restore one of Santiago’s most undervalued natural heritage sites. The petition signed by 13 municipalities along with the Metropolitan Regional Government of Santiago, requesting that the Mapocho River be declared an Urban Wetland and afforded the appropriate environmental protection, is a sign of commitment in this matter. However, just as important as protecting these socio-ecosystems is having modern governance for their conservation and enhancement, so it is crucial to advance the development of a Guide of Recommendations for Management and Financing Models in Metropolitan Parks with Wetlands. This should serve as input for the comprehensive management of a future Mapocho River Urban Wetland that will restore the fluvial character of our capital for future generations.