The geography of property rights: Land concentration, irrigation access and rural poverty under climate change in Chile

Abstract

Property regimes influence territorial development through institutional frameworks that determine land access and resource distribution. This research examines the relationship between land concentration and rural poverty in Chile, where the property regime enables unrestricted accumulation. The investigation employs quantitative methods to analyze data from 253 municipalities, integrating Agricultural Census information, poverty measurements, and irrigation access indicators. Results indicate that land concentration increases poverty probability in municipalities with limited irrigation access, suggesting that property regimes generate differentiated territorial vulnerabilities through resource allocation mechanisms. The evidence demonstrates how institutional frameworks shape adaptation capacities unequally across territories, particularly relevant given climate projections indicating precipitation scarcity and warming trends for Chile. This research contributes to understanding how property rights systems influence territorial responses to environmental pressures, informing debates about institutional arrangements for land governance and climate adaptation. The findings suggest that effective territorial planning requires examining how property regimes mediate access to productive resources.