Coastal management and climate change: an operational diagnosis of the coastal zones of the island and the sea of Chiloé (Chile)

Abstract

This paper examines the environmental, socioeconomic and sociocultural dysfunctions in the coastal areas of the island and the sea of Chiloé (Chile), using a methodology based on the DPSIR model. Due to the archipelagic condition of the study area and its location in the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere, special attention is paid to the relationship between territorial problems and the implications of climate change. The results reflect, in terms of coastal management, a reciprocal interaction between long and medium-term structural factors that disarticulate the coastal territory and the consequences derived from climate change. However, the solutions to address these deficiencies have not been sufficient to reverse the situation and promote the preservation of the ecosystem services that are so necessary for human welfare. Considering the social context that Chile is going through and the expectations of progressing in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) matters from the academic and legal spheres, the operational diagnosis proposed here is interesting to advance in the achievement of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management of Chiloé.