Chile gave Mapuche 510,000 acres since 1993, forests barely grew
Since 1993, over 510,000 acres have been returned to Mapuche communities in Chile under the Indigenous Law. A study revealed minimal changes in forest cover on the restituted lands. It observed a decline in commercial plantations and a slight rise in agricultural pastures, emphasizing the importance of traditional economic practices alongside conservation. This situation illustrates the need for…
Since 1993, Chile has returned over 510,000 acres of ancestral land to the Mapuche, its largest Indigenous group through a formal process. However, a study published in Nature Sustainability found that native forest cover on these lands has remained largely unchanged over the past 30 years. Researchers from UCSB and the University of Talca analyzed 1,577 parcels returned to Mapuche ownership between 1994 and 2023.
They discovered that commercial non-native forest plantations decreased by 18%, while agricultural pastureland increased by 4.5%. Despite these changes, there was no significant improvement in biodiversity, carbon storage, or soil erosion control. The study challenges the notion that giving land to Indigenous communities automatically leads to environmental restoration.
Traditional land use practices, such as traditional farming that involves livestock raising, have influenced the land use changes after restitution. The researchers emphasized that the primary goal of land restitution is to address historical injustices and restore Indigenous communities' control over their land, not to automatically promote environmental restoration.
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