Navigating the (yet) unseen waters of Cerrado, the Brazilian savanna

Abstract

Home to the headwaters and the largest portion of South American watersheds and the upper catchments of large Amazon tributaries, the Cerrado biome plays a vital role in Brazil’s surface and groundwater availability. Agribusiness expands at the cost of Cerrado’s biodiversity, leading to ever-increasing deforestation rates that favour a ‘water scarcity’ narrative despite the biome’s ‘water abundance’ potential. Water-related conservation efforts, such as the Water Producer Programme, are underway to align ecosystem services maintenance with sustainable agricultural practices in the Cerrado biome.