Risk landscapes: Narratives of place associated with the installation of the forest industry in the community of Minas del Prado in Ñuble Region, Chile

Abstract

This article examines the emerging narratives of the place following the implementation of the forestry industry in the community of Minas del Prado, Chile. For over 40 years, forest extractivism has altered the landscape in this rural setting, exacerbating vulnerabilities to fire risks and water crises. Using an ethnographic approach, we triangulate information through verbal, observational, and participatory qualitative techniques. The findings suggest that extractivism has reshaped the narratives of the place, leading to: i) landscapes characterized by disaster risk, ii) an increase in socio-environmental impacts, iii) a loss of connection with the native forest, and iv) changes in socio-cultural practices. These conclusions offer fundamental insights for the psychosocial study of the risk process, highlighting how forest extractivism has shaped new vulnerability scenarios, causing a rupture in the place's identity and the natural landscape