Chile’s “Mega Drought” is the longest registered in its history, over fourteen years to date. In fact, Chile finds itself in the top ten countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Chile meets seven of the nine criteria established by the "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change" on the negative consequences of climate change.
In order to conserve some of the small amount of rainwater that fell this year during the winter months in Chile, the Monsignor Enrique Alvear chapel of St. Columban parish, invested in four rainwater tanks allowing the chapel to collect 1,850 gallons of rainwater for its gardens.
In this chapel, children and adolescents in sacramental programs all take part in educational programs on water conservation techniques and how to use this rain water for the ten different kinds of fruit trees planted in the chapel area, as well as for general cleaning use and in toilets.