Punta del Este, Uruguay – June, 2015
On June 6, 2015, during the Ramsar COP 12 held in Punta del Este Uruguay, representatives
from the governments of Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay, made a commitment to move forward
an agenda for the conservation and sustainable development of the Pantanal, an area of 20
million hectares and the world’s largest tropical wetland.
Fernando Cisneros, representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia invited Brazil and
Paraguay to join Bolivia in its efforts to maintain the Pantanal ecosystem to continue
benefiting the people that inhabit this region. He mentioned that the diplomatic process
started by Bolivia, constitutes a strategic opportunity for strengthening the integration of
economic and environmental agendas, while respecting the sovereignty of each country.
The representative of Brazil, Clarissa Nina, welcomed Bolivia´s initiative and stated that this
is an opportunity to start coordinating the cooperation development agendas around one of
the most important biomes in the world. She declared that during this dialogue, Brazil
expects to exchange experiences, information and good practices, but is mainly interested in
the three countries building an integrated vision for the Pantanal.
Similarly, Reinilda Duré Rodas on behalf of the government of Paraguay, affirmed that the
conservation of the Pantanal is essential for Paraguay, since it provides water for human
consumption, production, navigation, fishing and the maintenance of the rich biodiversity,
key for the development process of this country. She added that the participation of
Paraguay in this initiative is fundamental for the sustainable development of the Pantanal
region.
WWF NEWS
Experts from the three countries shared findings on
how current development initiatives in the Pantanal
not only affect the ecosystem, but also impact on
social, economic and environmental stability. The
presenters coincided that unsustainable activities
contribute to deforestation, soil degradation, water
pollution and changes in the hydrological regime that
would have a high impact on the economy of the
region and on the livelihoods of its people.
This is an unprecedented step towards ensuring the
conservation of the Pantanal’s 20 million hectares, by
developing solutions to the growing threats to this
particular wetland of international importance. This
commitment was officially included in the COP
resolutions under the “La Plata River Basin
Initiative”.
“This historical event is an example of a truly trans-boundary conservation and sustainable
development effort at large scale driven by the willingness of these three Governments to
conserve its most precious resources”, said Luis Pabon, WWF Bolivia Country
Representative.
For more information
Luis Pabón
Country Representative
WWF Bolivia
Calle Los Pitones N°2070
Av. Beni – Santa Cruz, Bolivia
[email protected]
Tel. +591 3 3430609
http://bolivia.panda.org/
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