In January 2025, seven **new urban wetlands** (HU) were declared in **Chile** under **Law 21.202**, adding to the 122 recognized until December 2024.
These additions were announced by the **Ministry of the Environment (MMA)** at the beginning of the “Week of Wetlands” last February. In this way, the protected area is expanded to 13,160.7 hectares, almost equivalent to the territory of the Maipú commune.
This law, in effect since January 2020, represents a milestone in the conservation of these **essential ecosystems**. It defines criteria for their identification and ensures their protection against pressures such as **urban development**.
Impact of Law 21.202 on conservation
Until the end of 2024, the implementation of Law 21.202 allowed to **protect 12,991.25 hectares**, distributed in 122 urban wetlands. In 2025, the new seven HUs add 169.42 additional hectares.
The regulation seeks to mitigate the **damage caused by human activities**, defining wetlands as **marshes, swamps, or bogs**, with permanent or temporary waters, both natural and artificial, always within the urban area.
Leading regions in wetland protection
Although all regions of Chile have at least one HU, there are five that stand out: **Los Lagos**, with 26 wetlands (21 requested by municipalities); **Valparaíso**, with 22; **Biobío**, with 19; **Santiago Metropolitan**, with 12; and **La Araucanía**, with 11.
Most declarations are made at the request of municipalities, showing the importance of local collaboration in this process.
Trends in the declaration of urban wetlands in Chile
Since the first resolution in June 2021, which recognized the urban wetlands **Tranque La Dehesa 1 and 2** in Lo Barnechea, there has been a constant growth in the number of recognitions.
The initial boom in 2021 added 54 **protected wetlands**, followed by 38 in 2022 and 15 in each of the years 2023 and 2024. In terms of surface area, the greatest progress occurred during the first 12 months of the regulation, accumulating more than 8,383 protected hectares.
The importance of wetlands
Wetlands provide a large number of **fundamental benefits and services** for the preservation of life on Earth. These ecosystems perform key functions such as regulating the climate, **acting as carbon sinks**.
They provide **freshwater, food, and resources**; control floods; represent groundwater recharge; are the permanent or seasonal home to many **species of flora and fauna**; and contribute to the crucial task of mitigating climate change.
*With information from the portal País Circular*
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