Chile’s Indigenous Land Restitution Yields Mixed Environmental Results, Study Finds

A new study published in Nature Sustainability shows that the return of ancestral lands to Mapuche communities in southern Chile did not increase natural forest cover or improve biodiversity, carbon sequestration, or erosion control. While the restitution program gave communities greater control over land use, it led to more grasslands for livestock and a decline in non‑native tree plantations. Researchers analyzed satellite and administrative data from 1,577 properties across 36 communities to compare conditions before and after the land‑restitution program, known as the Chilean Indigenous Land and Water initiative. The results challenge the long‑held assumption that Indigenous self‑determination automatically translates into ecological restoration, underscoring that community‑defined land uses may prioritize different outcomes.