Integrating local governance into biodiversity-positive planning: lessons from Chile

Achieving biodiversity-positive land use transformation requires planning frameworks that integrate scientific evidence, governance structures, and the participation of local landholders. In Chile, the persistent gap between restoration prioritization and on-the-ground implementation illustrates this challenge. In the Maule Region, a database of 1,922 hectares of restored land between 2017 and 2024 reveals that only 12.7% of restoration took place within government-prioritized zones, while 87% occurred on lands owned by smallholders. These findings highlight the decisive role of local landowners in determining where restoration actually happens and underscore the need for planning systems that align ecological priorities with social and governance realities.

The Huge Forest initiative emerged as a direct response to this mismatch. It is a free and open-access digital platform that enables rural landholders to register areas suitable for native forest restoration through georeferenced ecological and legal data. The system facilitates connections between small and medium landholders, public restoration programs, and private actors. Since its launch in 2023, more than 50 landholders have registered over 300 hectares across central and southern Chile, supporting the design and prioritization of new restoration projects in collaboration with communities and partner institutions. These efforts contribute to restoring native vegetation in landscapes affected by fire and land-use change, improving ecological connectivity while enabling local people to reconnect with biodiversity and actively participate in restoration decision-making.

By integrating spatial data, local participation, and multi-level governance, Huge Forest generates actionable knowledge on how digital tools can enhance land-use planning for biodiversity. The platform reduces barriers between land availability and institutional demand, strengthens transparency and traceability, and provides a replicable model for participatory restoration planning. It illustrates how the co-production of knowledge between science, society, and practice can improve territorial governance and accelerate biodiversity-positive transformations.

Keywords: restoration governance, participatory planning, digital platforms, biodiversity, smallholders, Chile