As a result, the forest industry had more than 3 million ha of plantations in 2019 of which 64% was in the hands of only three companies. Moreover, the Chilean forestry model promotes exotic plantations of pines and eucalyptus through state subsidies. Land Degradation: The Case of Soil Erosion A reform of the Water Code proposed in 2014 would have, among other modifications, replaced free and perpetual water rights with temporary concessions, but it has been blocked by the country’s main agricultural associations. However, water saved at the farm scale typically does not reduce water consumption at the watershed scale, probably because the saved water would be used by the same farmers and not necessarily by other users. Law 18.450 has promoted private investment in irrigation efficiency through state subsidies. Since limited rainfall has become a constant scenario in semiarid areas of Chile, it is critical to establish effective policies for managing water sustainably accounting for both the hydrological cycle and equity. However, access to water is not recognized under Chile’s current constitution. Limited access to water for domestic use compromises human rights and food sovereignty and threatens rural communities.
Based on our analysis, we recommend the establishment of watershed-based “territorial rights” in the new Chilean constitution to improve sustainability and environmental justice. A potential ecological constitution entails principles that would improve the current situation of social-environmental conflicts in Chile. Moreover, 105 of the 155 delegates to the constitutional convention proposed three or more environmental principles to be included in the new constitution. This relationship seems to be perceived by Chilean citizens since a survey carried out in May 2021 found 79% support for an ecological constitution. Across different industries in Chile, we observed common problems that are intrinsically related to the current constitution. In this context, we aim to analyze: (1) the main social-environmental conflicts in Chile and how they are related to the country’s current constitution, and (2) the potential drafting of an ecological constitution that addresses these conflicts.
The result led to the emergence and empowerment of several organizations demanding an “ecological constitution”. 21.7%) voted to draft a new constitution to replace the current constitution drawn up under dictatorship. In Chile, a social revolt in 2019 resulted in a national referendum in 2020. Social unrest is on the rise worldwide amid deepening inequalities, environmental degradation, and job crises worsened by increasing social-environmental conflicts.
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