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Forests: A Treasure We Don't Know How to Protect

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By Cecilia Paredes, academic at the School of Agronomy, Universidad de Las Américas

On March 21, 2012, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the International Day of Forests to highlight their importance and raise awareness about their protection. Since then, initiatives have been promoted to emphasize their value at different levels. However, reality shows that much remains to be done to ensure their conservation.

Forests are essential for life on the planet, as they enrich biodiversity, restore degraded soils, and play a key role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. They act as carbon sinks, regulate rainfall, and stabilize local climates, reducing the intensity of extreme weather events. Their importance is also social and economic, since agroforestry improves soil productivity, increases farmers' incomes, and contributes to food security. Despite all this, the lack of real appreciation and ineffective policies continues to threaten this vital resource.

Chile is privileged to have over 18 million hectares of forests covering 23.8% of the national territory, of which 14.73 million correspond to native forests—an invaluable ecosystem for biodiversity. Despite this, their protection remains insufficient. Every year, thousands of hectares are consumed by wildfires, many of them intentionally set, highlighting the need to strengthen conservation efforts. Although the country has one of the most advanced forestry laws in Latin America, such as the Native Forest Recovery and Forestry Promotion Law, these regulations are insufficient without effective enforcement and profound cultural change. The responsibility to protect forests does not fall solely on the State but on society as a whole.

Today, the invitation is to close your eyes and immerse yourself in the forest. Feel the crunch of dry leaves underfoot as the warm breeze carries the unmistakable scent of canelos, laurels, and melíes. Visualize the brown and reddish reflections of autumn on the still waters of a lagoon. In spring, let yourself be enveloped by the explosion of colors from ulmos, arrayanes, and notros, their flowers perfuming the fresh air.

Let us marvel once again at their majesty, perfect balance, and inexhaustible generosity. As Pablo Neruda beautifully expressed: "Those who do not know the Chilean forest, do not know this planet. From those lands, from that clay, from that silence, I have emerged to walk, to sing throughout the world." His words remind us that forests are a living treasure, a heritage that defines us and connects us to our deepest identity—a source of pride and a responsibility we cannot ignore.