Conservation gains should not be at the mercy of political changes

In early March, Chile’s Ministry of the Environment under a new administration stopped implementing 43 decrees issued by the previous government. The halted measures include protections for terrestrial and marine areas, conservation actions for endangered species, and adaptations to climate change. The abrupt policy reversal risks undoing decades of progress in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. Such gains are slow to build because ecological recovery and restoration require sustained effort over long periods. At the same time, environmental improvements can be reversed quickly when protections and adaptation measures are withdrawn. The change therefore increases the likelihood of setbacks for ecosystems and species conservation efforts.

"In early March, the new administration of Chile’s Ministry of the Environment halted the implementation of 43 decrees enacted by the previous government, including measures for the protection of terrestrial and marine areas, the conservation of endangered species and adaptations to climate change."

"These abrupt policy changes risk eroding decades of hard-won progress in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration, in which gains are slow to achieve yet easily reversed."

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