Transcript Environmental Issues Affecting the Pantanal: How to Solve It?

Environmental Issues Affecting
the Pantanal:
How to Solve Them?
By: Kazuto Senga
The Pantanal
• One of the largest
seasonally flooded
wetland in the world.
• Area =
Approx.140,000 km²
• Connected to
Paraguay, Cuiaba,
and Negro Rivers.
Map depicting Wetland Area and River
Systems of Mato Grosso, Brasil.
The Pantanal Cont’d.
• Seasonally Flooded
Wetland (Dry Summer,
Flooded Rest of Year).
• Consist of Many
Circular Bodies of
Water (each has
unique chemical
properties).
Photos: Aerial View of
the Pantanal.
The Pantanal Cont’d
• Most number of
Floating Hydrophytes
in the world.
• Common
Hydrophytes: Salvinia
• Typically Low Nutrient
• Home for many
species of fish and
wildlife, as well as
humans.
Photo: The Pantanal Wetland – Pantanal, Brazil (by David Schaub 2002).
Major Human Activities that
Threaten the Pantanal:
1. Sewage pollution from Cuiaba City
2. Effects of “slash and burn”
agriculture in the Cerrado
3. Mercury discharge from gold mining
4. Hidrovia Transportation Project
Sewage Pollution from Cuiaba:
• No Water Treatment Plant
• Wastes flow into Pantanal through Cuiaba
River
• Causes Diseases: Cholera, Dengue Fever,
Yellow Fever, etc.
• Pesticides (DDT) flows into Pantanal,
causing health hazards for humans and
animals, especially Birds.
The Cerrado:
• Savanna vegetation in dryer
regions of wetlands in S.
America.
• Commonly used for agriculture.
• Slash & Burn Agriculture:
Unwanted vegetation (trees and
shrubs) cleared by burning, then
grassland formed for cattle.
• Unfortunately, nutrients (mainly
in burned vegetation ashes)
used up by erosion, leaching,
water runoff, winds.
• Land productive for only 3 ~ 4
years.
Photo: The Cerrado – Brasilia National Park (by Kazuto Senga 2002).
Effects of “slash and burn”
agriculture in the Cerrado:
• Unproductive land
become “bare”, which
leads to:
– Erosion
– Increased
Sedimentation in River
& Streams.
– Interferes with Water
Input & Output into WL.
– Also lowers nutrients.
Photo 1: Burning and converting the Cerrado
Photo 2: Cerrado Grassland for Cattle Farming – Tocantins, Brazil (by
Kazuto Senga 2002).
Mercury discharge from gold
mining:
• Used Mercury leaches into soil and ground water.
• Mercury carried by runoff and vaporization into rivers &
streams
• Heavy Metal Contamination in Wetlands
• Poisoning through bioaccumulation & food chain.
– Mercury Presence = 0.08 ~ 0.64 µg/g in Rondonia
– World Health Organization’s suggested limit = 0.43
µg/kg/day
– Health Hazard for Fish, Wildlife & Humans
• Digging & Excavation  Erosion  Sedimentation in
Rivers
Hidrovia Project:
• Construction of a Highway and Waterway
system
• In order to improve product transportation
through Mato Grosso Province.
• Largest potential for wetland damage.
Hidrovia project Cont’d.
• Highway System
– Will go through
Pantanal to reach
Cuiaba City
– Increased Erosion
& Deforestation
– Interferes Animal
Habitats and
causes road kill.
Photo: Transamazonica Highway – Santana do Araguaia,
Brazil (by Kazuto Senga 2002).
Hidrovia Project Cont’d.
• Waterway System
– Deepening of canals on rivers and streams
– Designed to prevent drought and non-navigable water
conditions.
Photo: Unused ferry
boat during dry season
and shallow water –
Palmas Tocantins,
Brazil (by David
Schaub 2002).
Hidrovia project Cont’d.
– Seasonal flooding system
will be heavily altered.
• Affect organisms adapted
to seasonal floodings.
– Pantanal will be drained
much faster  longer
drought period.
• Loss of Hydrophytes, Fish
& Others.
– Create uncontrolled floods
downstream.
• Cuiaba River may be
flooded by Paraguay River.
Photos Above: Drought and Flooded Conditions of the Pantanal.
Approaches for Human Activity &
Wetland Management
• Government and
Community Involvement
• Increase enforcement in
the wetland areas.
– Prevent poaching, illegal
gold mining, limit slash and
burn agriculture.
• Educate the importance
of wetlands.
– Potential for tourism, better
fishing (fish farming), clean
water, long-term benefits.
Photo: “Hunting for Fish and Animals is
a Crime” – Cangussu River, Brazil
(by David Schaub 2002).
Approaches for Human Activity &
Wetland Management Cont’d
• Construction of sewage
treatment plant in Cuiaba
• Create a Pantanal
National Park
– Government protection of
wetlands from any
construction and decrease
human activity.
– Good for local communities
through new economic
opportunities, ie) tourism.
– Lower incentive to use
excess natural resources.
Photos Above: Sample Pictures
of Brasilian Wetlands
Conclusions:
• Much work needed in the Mato Grosso region to
provide long-term solution for the protection of
the Pantanal.
• Human involvement and teamwork is crucial for
the possible solutions to work.
• Help from organizations and technological aid
from other countries. (EMBRAPA)
• Pantanal will no longer function as a stable
wetland environment, if we continue to ignore
the potential environmental issues affecting it.