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In recent days, pictures of Chile devastated by forest fires have been spread around the world. And no surprise, the magnitude is staggering: as of this Monday, at least 123 people have died and more than 12,000 homes have been reported burned in the Valparaiso region, the central-southern region of the country. The cruelty is so severe that Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared two days of national mourning. The magnitude is shocking, but reports of wildfires are anything but unusual. Every year newspaper headlines report that wildfires return to Chile.
The reality is that he never left; On the contrary, they are increasing in both frequency and intensity. So much so that the events that occurred in Chile in 2017, also in the central region of the country, forced to modify the scale of measuring fires at a global level. And yet, they are being treated as if they were some unexpected surprise. The reality is that, every year, thousands of hectares of land go up in flames, causing significant human and material losses.
I consult the Global Forest Watch platform, a digital tool that monitors the state of forests globally. I focus on Chile and explore the map. I add a layer with information about “forest cover”: The central-southern region of the country is covered with green. I add the “Forest cover lost due to wildfire” layer: the south-central area is colored brown. So far, there is no surprise and unshakable logic: where there are more forests, there are more wildfires. Another layer gives more interesting information: the main trigger of deforestation in Chile is forest plantations, especially in the central region of the country.
In other words, the original forest is gradually replaced by monocultures, large areas of a single species of tree that serve a specific purpose: to feed one of the most powerful extractive forest industries in Latin America. Here are the statistics behind it: About 20% of the native forest has been replaced by a combination of degraded scrub and grasslands, agricultural land and forest plantations. Of all deforestation in the country, 82% occurs in native forests.
The platform has its limitations. For example, you can’t tell me whether forest plantations burn faster and more often than native forests. Even Chile’s official data cannot give me this information. They apparently make no distinction: when a forest burns, it does not matter what type of forest is burned.
But the reality is that it does not matter, because a native forest and a forest plantation are far from fulfilling the same ecosystem functions. A native forest is characterized by the great variability of the species it protects, both plants and animals; Due to the diversity of age and developmental stages of the species. Thus, we have dense forest areas, interrupted by deforestation, and more or less humid areas. In short, it is a very heterogeneous environment. Forest plantations are exactly the opposite: it attempts to maintain as homogeneous conditions as possible on the largest area of land because its sole purpose is to produce wood. Therefore, the same tree species of the same age with no varying ground cover is preferred.
In Chile, there are more than three million hectares of pine and eucalyptus monocultures. A forest management model that was facilitated and supported by various regulations allowed the country to establish itself as the second producer of cellulose in Latin America. This extractive model developed in a disorganized and poorly regulated manner. Thus, some precautions were abandoned, such as having fire-proof surfaces between plantings; Maintain protected areas by avoiding tree planting around rivers, streams, springs or entire communities. Furthermore, they are exotic species: eucalyptus are particularly prone to burning and require considerable amounts of water. This has a deep impact on the availability of water and soil quality in the area.
Plantations also play an important role in the spread of fire. Some fires, destructive though they may be, have some important ecological benefits. They occur periodically and naturally and allow the elimination of dead or diseased vegetation, creating clearings in the forest, which favors the growth of other types of species. This natural diversity is one of the key characteristics of a healthy ecosystem. In this type of environment, the fire usually extinguishes itself, because this diversity creates an imbalance in the fuel and therefore modifies its advance conditions. This phenomenon does not happen in plantations. It is a homogeneous landscape that is a breeding ground for excessive spread of fire that has a long extension through which it can spread and spread. Moreover, proximity to communities and cities makes it even more deadly.
National Forestry Corporation data shows that in 2017, 54% of the area damaged by fire occurred in forest plantations, less than 18% of which would have occurred in native forest.
The environmental and social impacts of the forestry industry are well documented. And these have become even more serious due to climate change. Chile is one of the ten most vulnerable countries: water stress is expected throughout the country as well as a sharp rise in temperatures. Currently, it is estimated that the average rainfall is 20% less than in previous years. This is particularly emphasized in the central region of the country, which is in an almost permanent state of mega-drought.
Officials say there is some motive behind the fire. Of course it is important that these people face justice. However, we must not forget the other widespread culprits: the state and forestry companies, which are essential elements in this deadly triad aggravated by climate change.
President Gabriel Boric assured that this is the biggest tragedy to hit Chile since the massive earthquake of February 27, 2010, which killed hundreds of people due to the earthquake and tsunami. However, the difference is brutal. This new tragedy does not occur in a vacuum and what is even more tragic is that it is not an exceptional situation.
