World’s largest tropical wetland Pantanal

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

Brazilian scientists warn that the Pantanal is at risk of collapse.
Once a model for sustainable land use, scientists alert world to “the tragedy of the commons” afflicting one of Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems

About Pantanal:

It is the world’s largest freshwater tropical wetland, located in South America
The Pantanal spans over 179,000 sq km in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia and boasts.
It is one of Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems and one of the highest concentrations of flora and fauna in South America.
Amazon rainforest located to its north
The headwaters of the region’s two major river systems, the Cuiabá and the Paraguay rivers, are located here,
Some of the Pantanal’s most lively inhabitants include jaguars, giant anteaters, piranha, howler and capuchin monkeys, and green anacondas—the world’s largest snakes
unlike the Amazon, where the thick jungle obscures the view, the Pantanal is such an open environment
Part of the pantanal is UNESCO World Heritage site

What happened now?

Twenty years ago, there was a warning that individual and local interests were detrimental to the collective interests of the conservation of the Pantanal, comparing the situation to the “tragedy of commons” or the “tyranny of small decisions.”
Two decades later, the forecast has become a reality.

What is Tragedy of Commons:

Tragedy of the Commons is an economic and environmental science problem where individuals have access to a shared resource and act in their own interest, at the expense of other individuals. This can result in overconsumption, underinvestment, and depletion of resources.
First posited in 1968 by American ecologist Garret Hardin

What is Tyranny of small decisions:

The tyranny of small decisions is a phenomenon in which a number of decisions, individually small and insignificant in size and time perspective, cumulatively result in a larger and significant outcome which is neither optimal nor desired.
Introduced by Alfred E. Kahn and he described the problem as a common issue in market economics which can lead to market failure.

Why Patanal is in brink of collapse:

As per a recent scientific study – over the past two decades the locally-made legal land-use decisions and proposals to open up the wetland to more intensive uses that collectively threaten the long-term survival of the Pantanal.
The future of sustainable cattle ranching, fishing, ecotourism, traditional communities, biodiversity, and ecosystem services is under threat
Approval of an increasing number of hydroelectric plants in the river basins may cause significant changes in the hydrology and nutrient intake in the ecosystems.
The construction of Barranco Vermelho port on the Paraguay river in the State of Mato Grosso in jan 2022 may pose a substantial threat to the hydrology of Pantanal
Climate change on a global scale, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and severe drought and massive fires are other major threats
“The Pantanal is an ecosystem where the extension and duration of the seasonal floods are vital to maintaining biodiversity, traditional cattle ranching and resources used by local communities. The convergence of threats that may lead to the disappearance of the Pantanal as we know it today.