Do Large-Scale Forestry Companies Generate Prosperity in Indigenous Communities? The Socioeconomic Impacts of Tree Plantations in Southern Chile.
2021
Álvaro Hofflinger, Héctor Nahuelpán, Àlex Boso, y Pablo Millalén
Abstract
Since the 1980s, forest plantations have expanded globally in response to commercial demand for wood products. Research has focused mainly on the economic and environmental impacts (carbon reduction) of the forestry industry. However, our research focuses on the social impact of large-scale forestry plantations, particularly the effect of the expansion of tree plantations on local communities. We evaluate the positive (employment and income) and negative (poverty and income inequality) externalities of the expansion of the forestry industry in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations located in six regions of Southern Chile, where 73% of the rural Indigenous people live, over the period 1997–2015. Our findings show that the forestry industry’s expansion has not reduced unemployment or improved incomes for the Indigenous or non-Indigenous population. On the contrary, it has increased poverty and inequality between them.
Expanding Exotic Forest Plantations and Declining Rural Populations in La Araucanía, Chile.
2021
Lindsey Carte, Álvaro Hofflinger, y Molly H. Polk
Abstract
Chile has embraced the expansion of monoculture forest plantations of exotic Monterey pine and eucalyptus as part of its development strategy. While forestry is considered financially successful and meets sustainability objectives, the increase in forest plantations across southern Chile has received harsh critiques for exacerbating conflict over Indigenous land rights, producing negative environmental outcomes, and increasing poverty and inequality. There are also claims that forest plantation expansion has led to an abandonment of the countryside. Migration is viewed as a result of the socioeconomic challenges that forest plantations produce at the local level; however, the linkages have not been explored. We examine the linkages between forest plantations and migration through two questions: Is there a relationship between forest plantation cover change and out-migration from rural areas? If so, what are the factors that explain this process? We use a difference-in-differences method analyzing panel data from the Chilean census and from CONAF, the Chilean National Forest Corporation, complemented by interviews, mapping workshops, and focus groups to answer these questions. Results indicate a statistically significant relationship between expanding forest plantations and population decline in rural areas. Qualitative data show that this expansion led to displacement of residents, declines in employment opportunities, and agriculture difficulties.
Who Buys Certified Firewood? Individual Determinants of Clean Fuel Adoption for Promoting The Sustainable Energy Transition in Southern Chile.
2021
Boris Álvarez, Àlex Boso, Ignacio Rodríguez, Álvaro Hofflinger & Arturo Vallejos-Romero
Background
Temuco and Padre Las Casas, Chile, have severe problems of air pollution due to the extensive use of firewood for heating. The local authorities have made various efforts to improve fuel quality and introduce greater regulation into the market. Certified firewood guarantees low levels of humidity (< 25%) and has better combustion, but its distribution is still limited and the variables that determine its purchase have scarcely been studied. The aim of this study is to identify the determinants of certified firewood consumption in urban southern Chile.
Energy Poverty Influences Urban Outdoor Air Pollution Levels During COVID-19 Lockdown in South-Central Chile.
2021
Aner Martínez-Soto, Constanza C. Avendaño Vera, Àlex Boso, Álvaro Hofflinger & Matthew Shupler
Abstract
The effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on ambient air pollution levels in urban south-central Chile, where outdoor air pollution primarily originates indoors from wood burning for heating, may differ from trends in cities where transportation and industrial emission sources dominate. This quasi experimental study compared hourly fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particulate matter measurements from six air monitors (three beta attenuation monitors; three low-cost sensors) in commercial and low/middle-income residential areas of Temuco, Chile between 2019 and 2020. The potential impact of varying annual meterological conditions on air quality was also assessed. During COVID-19 lockdown, average monthly ambient PM2.5 concentrations in a commercial and middle-income residential neighborhood of Temuco were up to 50% higher (from 12 to 18 μg/m3) and 59% higher (from 22 to 35 μg/m3) than 2019 levels, respectively. Conversely, PM2.5 levels decreased by up to 52% (from 43 to 21 μg/m3) in low-income areas. The fine fraction of PM10 in April 2020 was 48% higher than in April 2017–2019 (from 50% to 74%) in a commercial area. These changes did not appear to result from meterological differences between years. During COVID-19 lockdown, higher outdoor PM2.5 pollution from wood heating existed in more affluent areas of Temuco, while PM2.5 concentrations declined among poorer households refraining from wood heating. To reduce air pollution and energy poverty in south-central Chile, affordability of clean heating fuels (e.g. electricity) should be a policy priority.
Breathing Clean Air or Cheaply Heating Your Home: An Environmental Justice Dilemma in Chilean Patagonia.
2020
Àlex Boso, Álvaro Hofflinger, Jaime Garrido & Boris Álvarez
Abstract
Cities in southern Chile face serious environmental pollution due to extensive use of firewood for heating and cooking. Lack of access to cleaner energy fuel, low-efficiency building materials, and a cold climate exacerbate the problem, which increases the deforestation of the native forests of Patagonia. While environmental justice research has established clear links between air pollution hazards and vulnerable populations, little is known about how this relationship influences the risk perception and adaptation strategies among all urban residents. This study assesses social vulnerability variables, indoor environments, and air pollution adaptation strategies in households located in the city of Coyhaique by monitoring households’ temperatures and conducting semistructured interviews with residents. Focused on interactions between people and their indoor and outdoor environments, this study reveals the microscale hazards and difficulties in overcoming the dilemma between breathing clean air and cheap heating as additional dimensions of environmental injustice.
Narratives of Resistance to Technological Change: Drawing Lessons for Urban Energy Transitions in Southern Chile.
2020
Àlex Boso, Jaime Garrido, Boris Álvarez, Christian Oltra, Álvaro Hofflinger & Germán Gálvez
Abstract
Several cities in southern Chile are immersed in energy transition processes due to the severe air pollution that the massive use of firewood for domestic heating and cooking has generated. Semi-structured interviews and news analysis of local newspapers were combined to explore the narratives of residents of Temuco and Padre Las Casas, two of the most polluted cities in Latin America. The study uses some aspects of the innovation systems theory to try to understand the social origins of the narratives of resistance to technological change in a city where most homes use wood-burning stoves and cookers. Few studies have employed narratives to study urban energy transitions. A rich narrative about the complexity of technological change emerged from the interviews, offering valuable insights into energy transition research. The results show the relevance of early events in energy transitions in the development of these transitions. The narrative dichotomy between hero and horror stories emerges as a social mechanism capable of slowing the diffusion of emerging energy technologies. The findings of this study suggest that narratives of resistance to change constitute a critical issue that local governments must learn to manage in the transitions toward scenarios of greater urban sustainability.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Participatory Sensing for Monitoring Indoor Air Quality.
2020
Àlex Boso, Boris Álvarez, Christian Oltra, Jaime Garrido, Carlos Muñoz & Álvaro Hofflinger
Abstract
In southern Chile, epidemiological studies have linked high levels of air pollution produced by the use of wood-burning stoves with the incidence of numerous diseases. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study explores the potential of participatory sensing strategies to transform experiences, perceptions, attitudes, and daily routine activities in 15 households equipped with wood-burning stoves in the city of Temuco, Chile. The results suggest that the experience of using a low-cost sensor improves household members’ awareness levels of air pollution. However, the information provided by the sensors does not seem to improve the participants’ self-efficacy to control air quality and protect themselves from pollution. The high degree of involvement with the participatory sensing experience indicates that the distribution of low-cost sensors could be a key element in the risk communication policies.
The Home Halo Effect: How Air Quality Perception is Influenced by Place Attachment.
2019
Álvaro Hofflinger, Àlex Boso & Christian Oltra
Abstract
Studies on air pollution suggest that individuals perceive their neighborhoods as less polluted than their cities, termed the “halo effect.” This effect is important because how people perceive air quality is highly correlated with whether they will develop coping strategies to reduce health risks from air pollution. We conducted 489 household surveys in two municipalities in south-central Chile, both highly polluted with smoke from wood-burning stoves, to identify differences in perception of air quality at the city, neighborhood, and household levels. We found evidence of a home halo effect even though studies show indoor pollution in these municipalities might be equal to or higher than outdoor pollution. The findings are relevant for local and central governments to improve their communication strategies, which to date have been focused on providing data about outdoor air pollution aggregated at the city level. More detailed and disaggregated information on the health risks linked to indoor air quality can improve residents’ awareness and engagement in developing protective and coping behaviors concerning air pollution.
Response Time to Flood Events Using a Social Vulnerability Index (ReTSVI), Nat.
2019
Álvaro Hofflinger, Marcelo A. Somos-Valenzuela, and Arturo Vallejos-Romero
Abstract
Current methods to estimate evacuation time during a natural disaster do not consider the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the population. This article develops the Response Time by Social Vulnerability Index (ReTSVI). ReTSVI combines a series of modules that are pieces of information that interact during an evacuation, such as evacuation rate curves, mobilization, inundation models, and social vulnerability indexes, to create an integrated map of the evacuation rate in a given location. We provide an example of the application of ReTSVI in a potential case of a severe flood event in Huaraz, Peru. The results show that during the first 5 min of the evacuation, the population that lives in neighborhoods with a high social vulnerability evacuates 15 % and 22 % fewer people than the blocks with medium and low social vulnerability. These differences gradually decrease over time after the evacuation warning, and social vulnerability becomes less relevant after 30 min. The results of the application example have no statistical significance, which should be considered in a real case of application. Using a methodology such as ReTSVI could make it possible to combine social and physical vulnerability in a qualitative framework for evacuation, although more research is needed to understand the socioeconomic variables that explain the differences in evacuation rate.
Participation in a Programme for Assisted Replacement of Wood-Burning Stoves in Chile: The Role of Sociodemographic Factors, Evaluation of Air Quality and Risk Perception.
2019
Àlex Boso, Christian Oltra & Álvaro Hofflinger
Abstract
Temuco and Padre Las Casas are two of the most polluted cities in southern Chile; around 90% of the particulate matter emissions are produced by wood-burning stoves used for domestic heating and cooking. Surveys were collected from 489 residents to examine differences between applicants and non-applicants to a programme to replace wood-burning stoves with pellet stoves. Results show that participants who applied to the programme are, on average, older than non-applicants, are more likely to have a respiratory impairment, tend to evaluate indoor air quality worse than non-applicants and tend to perceive the health effects of air pollution as more severe. The findings also suggest that motivation to improve air quality is a key aspect for understanding the adoption of pellet stoves when the requirement for initial investment is removed. Practical implications relating to the role of sociodemographic and psychological factors in the decision to replace heating systems are discussed to support the design of more effective interventions to mitigate wood smoke pollution.
Examining Patterns of Air Quality Perception: A Cluster Analysis for Southern Chilean Cities.
2019
Àlex Boso, Boris Álvarez, Christian Oltra, Álvaro Hofflinger, Arturo Vallejos-Romero & Jaime Garrido
Abstract
Various medium-sized cities in southern Chile are saturated by air pollution caused by woodsmoke. In this study, we developed a segmentation model to assess the public’s perceptions, understanding of health risks and emotional responses to poor air quality. To date, this is the first segmentation model dealing with public perception in cities contaminated by woodsmoke. A survey (N = 489) was conducted in Temuco and Padre las Casas, Chile, which included questions regarding attitudes, sociodemographic factors, and health care behaviors, to obtain information for mitigation initiatives. Through a cluster analysis, three population segments were identified that related differently to environmental pollution, which were constructed based on seven psychosocial variables. Different sociodemographic profiles and self-reported behavioral patterns were found, which should guide policies aimed at improving air quality in cities contaminated by pollution from wood-burning stoves.
Public Support for Wood Smoke Mitigation Policies in South-Central Chile.
2018
Àlex Boso, Álvaro Q. Hofflinger, Christian Oltra, Boris Álvarez & Jaime Garrido
Abstract
This study analyzes the role of the affect heuristic, risk perceptions, and air quality and sociodemographic factors in the support for policies to control urban air pollution. The sample includes 489 participants residing in Temuco and Padre Las Casas, suburban areas located in southern Chile, affected by the smoke that wood-burning stoves and cookers produce. In line with previous studies, the results show that the rejection of pollution mitigation policies is associated with a positive affect to heat homes with wood. Awareness and risk perception also seem to be relevant factors, but the effect of the latter on the support for policies ceases to be significant when it is controlled by key sociodemographic variables such as household income. The study findings contribute to the theories of processing information about risk, when suggesting that emotions and awareness play an important role in the support for policies to control air pollution and that, also, structural factors like household income cannot be avoided. Finally, the implications for urban energy transition processes are discussed.
Risks, Communication and Socioenvironmental Conflicts Over Energy in Chile.
2019
Arturo Vallejos-Romero, Claudia Riquelme, Jaime Garrido Castillo, Álvaro Quezada-Hofflinger, Àlex Boso
Abstract
This article analyzes the communication strategies in the conflicts surrounding the Castilla and HidroAysén projects in Chile. Within this framework, descriptive exploratory research, with an integrated design was performed. The findings revealed simple communication formats that affect the management of the conflict, trust and the development visions, stressing risk communication as important for risk governance.
Alvaro Hofflinger 