Configuring Socio-Environmental Risks in Chile: Institutional Narratives and Complexities in a Risk Society

Arturo Vallejos-Romero, Felipe Sáez Ardura (), Minerva Cordoves-Sánchez, César Cisternas, Markku Lehtonen, Luz Karime Sánchez Galvis and Àlex Boso
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Arturo Vallejos-Romero: Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de La Frontera, Avda. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4810101, Chile
Felipe Sáez Ardura: Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de La Frontera, Avda. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4810101, Chile
Minerva Cordoves-Sánchez: Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de La Frontera, Avda. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco 4810101, Chile
César Cisternas: Núcleo de Investigación en Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810101, Chile
Markku Lehtonen: Departamento de Humanidades, Jaume I Edificio (Ciutadella Campus), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Luz Karime Sánchez Galvis: Laboratorio de Ingeniería Química Ambiental (LEQUIA), Universidad de Girona, 17004 Barcelona, Spain
Àlex Boso: Department of Environment, Socio-Thecnical Research, CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Living in a society characterized by risk has distinct implications for developing countries, where addressing the socio-environmental issues within established governance structures is challenging. This study aims to investigate the risks identified by the main relevant institutions in Chile based on the narratives of their authorities and how these are configured differently according to the regions and areas involved. Using a qualitative method based on individual interviews conducted with 57 representatives of institutions present in eight regions of the country, a differentiated configuration is identified depending on the institution and the region where they perform their functions. The main findings show that (1) the narrative relevance of the risks in Chile continues to be intensely based on natural hazards, (2) there are clear regional and macro-regional differences in the configuration of socio-environmental risks, showing significant institutional complexity, and (3) the ongoing challenges with deregulated events create high-level uncertainty in matters relevant to society. It is concluded that although the country is experiencing a complex crossroads in terms of the transition towards risk policies, a challenging effort would be to combine regulatory efficiency both in traditional risk problems and in the new criteria of the global development agenda.

Keywords: differentiated configuration; socio-environmental risks; narratives; risk regulation; institutions; Chile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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