Institutional responses to climate change: opportunities and barriers for adaptation in the Pantanal and the Upper Paraguay River Basin

Abstract

Climatic change is expected to have serious impacts on the Pantanal, a large tropical wetland located in the Upper Paraguay River Basin, in the centre of South America, where a range of institutional responses are being developed to mitigate and adapt to climate change. In order to examine the institutional achievements and challenges for managing the region, a specific typology is initially introduced, which comprises a schematic gradient of institutional responses. An empirical analysis was conducted in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, the three countries that share the Pantanal, which identified the hybrid basis of the policy framework under construction, in the sense that it actually combines elements of various institutional responses included in the proposed typology. Important factors that seem to undermine the efficacy of institutional responses in addressing climate change in the region are the strong influence of the agribusiness sector and the still relatively low importance of the Pantanal for national environmental policy-making. This essay makes a claim that the principles of climate justice should guiding policies and interventions as it they constitute the most appropriate strategy to address the inequality and unfairness related to climate change.

Paleoecology explains Holocene chemical changes in lakes of the Nhecolândia (Pantanal-Brazil)

“…Many climate models predict that significant changes to tropical water cycles will accompany global warming, with the potential to increase the frequency of floods and droughts. The Pantanal's frontier setting and paucity of infrastructure renders its growing population vulnerable to severe climate events (e.g., prolonged droughts) that could alter wetland hydrology and degrade ecosystem services (Ioris et al, 2014;Junk et al, 2014;Marengo et al, 2016). The results of our study illustrate that the chemistry of Salina da Ponta evolved dynamically in the late Holocene.…”

Quo vadis Pantanal? Expected precipitation extremes and drought dynamics from changing sea surface temperature

“…Along with expanding agricultural activities and hydroelectric development, climate change poses a major threat to the Pantanal wetland [14,15]. Changes in climatic conditions may cause significant disturbances in ecosystem functioning, mostly by altering the spatial and temporal precipitation dynamics and extreme precipitation events, which in turn affect the fluvial regimes and flooding dynamics.…”

The Impact of Drought on Soil Moisture Trends across Brazilian Biomes

“…Currently, the Cerrado hosts the largest rural expansion in Brazil, resulting in environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and soil erosion and limited water availability. It is classified as the most endangered savannah on the planet and one of the 34 global hotspots (Ioris, Irigaray and Girard 2014).…”