Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GEF Project “Mainstreaming Conservation of Coastal Wetlands of Chile’s South Center Biodiversity Hotspot through Adaptive Management of Coastal Area Ecosystems (GEF ID 9766)” (2019-2025)

This report is a Terminal Evaluation of a UNEP/GEF Mainstreaming Conservation of Coastal Wetlands of Chile’s South Center Biodiversity Hotspot through Adaptive Management of Coastal Area Ecosystems (GEF ID 9766) project, implemented between 2019 and 2025. The project’s objective was to improve the ecological condition and conservation of wetlands and associated watersheds by promoting sustainable management, strengthening coastal landscape governance, and integrating wetland conservation into local development processes. As a result, the project delivered strong technical results, generating ecological assessments and tools that improved knowledge on the five pilot wetlands and informed key regulatory and planning instruments, mainly at national level. These products supported wetland declarations, improved decision-making, and strengthened capacities among communities and public officials. Municipal uptake remained limited and pilot actions were largely demonstrative. The project’s results were driven mainly by the implementation of the Urban Wetlands Law of Chile and additional resources generated by a favourable dollar-to-Chilean peso exchange rate. Sustainability is moderately likely, though limited resources, weak private-sector engagement, shortcomings in co-financing reporting, limited attention to vulnerable groups, and some reactive approach to safeguards present remaining challenges.