Integrating ecosystem services into Chile's forestry sector

In 2023, Chile created the Natural Capital Committee (NCC), a government entity focused on including the value of nature in policymaking and financial decisions. Chile's forestry sector spans 3 million hectares of plantations that have driven significant impacts on water, biodiversity, and fire risk — including the record-breaking megafires of 2017 and 2023. This project will develop a decision-making framework that helps government and industry evaluate forestry options by explicitly accounting for ecosystem services like water regulation, carbon storage, and fire risk. Working directly with the NCC and ARAUCO, Chile's largest forestry company, the researchers will co-design this process through participatory workshops and negotiations and produce maps, guidance, and open software tools to help mainstream the value of nature in forestry planning at scale.

Above: Drought conditions in Chile have led to severe wildfire outbreaks in recent years. Image credit: benjamin ibanez / iStock