World's largest wetland threatened in Brazil

CORUMBA, Brazil (Reuters) – Jaguars still roam the world’s largest wetland and endangered Hyacinth Macaws nest in its trees but advancing farms and industries are destroying Brazil’s Pantanal region at an alarming rate. The degradation of the landlocked river delta on the upper Paraguay river which straddles Brazil’s borders with Bolivia and Paraguay is a reminder of how economic progress can cause large-scale environmental damage. "It’s a type of Noah’s Ark but it risks running aground," biologist and tourist guide Elder Brandao de Oliveira says of the Pantanal. Brazil’s exports of beef, iron and to a lesser extent soy — the main products from the Pantanal — have rocketed in recent years, driven largely by global demand. … Brazil’s pig iron exports have grown sixfold to $3.14 billion since 2003. Around 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) of native forest are lost annually in Mato Grosso do Sul state, home to much of the Pantanal, an FGV study showed. … Erosion resulting from deforestation has created large sandbanks on tributaries to the Paraguay river, such as the Taquari and Rio Negro, making them partially unnavigable. "Rivers will change course, lakes appear or disappear — the size and shape of the Pantanal will change," said Sandro Menezes, manager of Conservation International’s Pantanal project. "It’s very probable that local flora and fauna will become extinct." Already, there are signs that runoff water from nearby farms is altering the ecosystem’s delicate balance. "We see trees flower and birds breed earlier — we believe it’s because of fertilizers in the water," said de Oliveira.

World’s largest wetland threatened in Brazil