Javier Mella, an academic from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, was awarded the II UANDES-UFRO Interdisciplinary Associative Research Contest to measure how large-scale tree burning affects the economic performance of agricultural companies.
In a global context where climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of forest fires, a research led by the academic from the University of California, Berkeley, has found that the frequency and severity of wildfires are increasing. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of our house of studies, Javier Mellaseeks to understand how these extreme events have a financial impact on agricultural companies. The study, still under development, proposes an innovative approach by analyzing the effects of fires on the financial markets and accounting indicators of these companies. "The topic we chose is very relevant, especially for Chile, which is a country highly exposed to forest fires. The financial and accounting markets and indicators allow us to have a concrete way to measure their economic impact. It is an area that has been practically ignored in the specialized literature, which reinforces the importance of our research," explains Mella.
The project seeks to establish the relationship between climate change, forest fires and the financial performance of the agricultural sector in different regions of the world. So far, there are only partial antecedents of this link in some specific industries in the United States, so the professor aims to expand this evidence with a global approach, including the Chilean case.
The initiative is developed in collaboration with Andres Garciaalso from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of UANDES and with academicians Valeska Geldres and Marcelo Garrido (University of La Frontera, UFRO) and Edinson Cornejo (Universidad Mayor). This alliance was key to winning the II UANDES-UFRO Associative Interdisciplinary Research Competition, which aims to foster the academic relationship between researchers and promote the study of topics such as the climate crisis. "This fund has allowed us to add capacities, resume collaborations and finance expenses associated with research. In addition, it promotes interdisciplinarity and strengthens the quality of the work team."Mella points out.
The project will not only contribute to filling a gap in the scientific literature, but could also be a relevant input for public policies and business strategies in the face of the economic challenges of climate change.
