Cielos de Chile Foundation and the Municipality of Vallenar sign an agreement to reduce light pollution in the commune

With the support of the Regional Government of Atacama, the agreement seeks to renew more than 9,000 public lights in the commune of Vallenar and boost astrotourism in localities of the sector.

On October 19 of this year, the new lighting regulation with restrictions on outdoor lighting comes into effect throughout the national territory. In some localities, the regulation is even stricter, this is the case of Vallenar and 28 other Chilean communes that were declared as protected areas for astronomical observation.

In this context, Fundación Cielos de Chile signed an agreement with the I. Municipality of Vallenar, with the support of the Regional Government of Atacama, which commits resources to renew the nine thousand lights present in the commune. Additionally, through various initiatives, it seeks to boost astrotourism in the localities of Domeyko and Cachiyuyo.

The agreement is part of the work carried out by the I. Municipality of Vallenar to enhance the care of the skies and take advantage of their quality for the development of astrotourism as a pillar of development in the area. “Among the main characteristics that are most valued in our territory is having clear skies,” highlighted Armando Flores, mayor of Vallenar.

Regarding the agreement, he added: “We have signed it because these characteristics give our territory a certain condition that allows us to generate business opportunities, opportunities for science, for technology. What we want is for that very characteristic hallmark of our area to be projected in the future and also allow us to generate income and opportunities for our young people.”

New Lighting Regulation and the Role of Local Governments

Daniela González, executive director of Fundación Cielos de Chile, emphasizes that the role local governments will play in the implementation of the new lighting regulation is crucial. This, she explains, because the regulation restricts outdoor lighting, with the largest extension being public lighting, present in squares and pedestrian paths, managed by the municipalities.

“Agreements like the one in the commune of Vallenar with the Regional Government are a very good encouragement for the rest of the local governments to achieve the necessary associativity, which can facilitate funds for lighting replacements and also set a regional standard for how this new regulation should be applied,” she pointed out.

She also mentioned that local and regional governments will also play an important role in the development and dissemination of instances related to the promotion of dark skies and raising awareness about light pollution.

The communes belonging to the astronomical areas with a distance of less than 100 km from astronomical observatories (nearby communes) have until October 19, 2029 as the maximum deadline to adapt all their lights to the New Lighting Regulation, having to apply the regulation to their new lights starting this October. Meanwhile, distant communes must apply the regulation starting in October 2024 to all their new lights and when replacing existing sources.