Chile Environment - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Environment - current issues

air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; noise pollution; improper garbage disposal; soil degradation; widespread deforestation and mining threaten the environment; wildlife conservation

Environment - international agreements

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Climate

temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

Land use

agricultural land: 21.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 18.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 21.9% (2018 est.)

other: 57% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 88% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Revenue from forest resources

0.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 21.03 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 85.82 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 15.97 megatons (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 6.517 million tons (2009 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 24,113 tons (2009 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 0.4% (2009 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Lago General Carrera (shared with Argentina) - 2,240 sq km; Lago O'Higgins (shared with Argentina) - 1,010 sq km; Lago Llanquihue - 800 sq km; Lago Fagnano (shared with Argentina) - 590 sq km

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 1.29 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 1.66 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 29.42 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources

923.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Chile on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Chile 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Chile 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.