The Chilean Invisible Reconstruction in Post-Fire Recovery: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Soil Security Challenges Amidst an Extractive Economic Model

Current post-fire recovery strategies in Mediterranean Chile primarily emphasize discernible outcomes, such as residential reconstruction and expedited reforestation. In this context, neglecting soil degradation remains a critical geographical oversight. This perspective proposes the integration of a soil security framework as an “invisible reconstruction” to mitigate the unacknowledged deterioration of the five soil dimensions (capacity, condition, capital, connectivity, and codification) within fire-affected territories. Also, this study advocates for nature-based solutions as instruments for territorial management, asserting that soil should be classified as an essential infrastructure within national disaster risk policies during the recovery phase. A strategic roadmap and an organizational map are presented for public planners and researchers, facilitating a transition from immediate recovery to an integrated reconstruction paradigm centered on soil security. The proposed approach aims to reconcile the disparities between soil, vegetation, and anthropogenic reconstruction in fire-prone regions characterized by extractive economic models.