© Cagiano / Greenpeace
THE THREATS – WHO IS DRYING UP THE WETLAND?
The future of the Pantanal hangs in the balance due
evidence of agricultural use, even though they do not
to multiple threats to its ecological stability. The
constitute legally binding land title.96
most direct threat is from commodity agriculture,
and Food Supply (Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e
manage land and clear natural vegetation as part of
Abastecimento, MAPA), about 90% of the Brazilian Pantanal
the sector’s expansion posing a particular risk. More
is under private land claims today,97 and about 80% of it
broadly, agricultural development on the surrounding
is reportedly managed as cattle ranches.98 Some 2,500
plateaux92 is impacting the hydrology of the wetlands,
fazendas, or farms, are thought to be located in the region,99
with planned infrastructural development yet another
together with 8.2 million cattle in municipalities that fall
threat. Further, climatic changes affecting the
wholly or partly inside the Pantanal.100
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Amazon threaten to disrupt patterns of rainfall and the climate across the region.
MAKING MINCEMEAT OF THE PANTANAL
According to CAR data, as of 31 January 2020, 6,756 self-registered properties covered about 12.7
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According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock
including cattle ranching, with the use of fire to 90
Under Brazil’s Forest Code, self-reported registration
million ha within the Brazilian Pantanal.101 Over 58%
of rural properties (including identification of property
of the area of conservation units on public land
boundaries) with the Rural Environmental Registry
(including federal, state and municipal reserves) within
(Cadastro Ambiental Rural, CAR) is mandatory. Designed
the Brazilian Pantanal,102 as well as more than 28%
to enable monitoring and enforcement of compliance
of Indigenous lands, is covered by registered rural
with environmental regulations, CAR registrations are
properties.103 This means that despite their supposedly
frequently used to stake and secure land claims through
protected status, landholders have initiated processes
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