ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES Office for Sustainable Development & Environment WATER PROJECT SERIES, NUMBER 3 — OCTOBER 2005 PANTANAL AND THE UPPER PARAGUAY RIVER BASIN Implementation of Integrated Watershed Management Practices for the Pantanal and the Upper Paraguay River Basin IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR THE PANTANAL AND UPPER PARAGUAY RIVER BASIN PROJECT COUNTRY: Brazil IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) REGIONAL EXECUTING AGENCY: Organization of American States/Office for Sustainable Development and Environment (OAS/OSDE) LOCAL EXECUTING AGENCY: National Water Agency of Brazil (ANA) PROJECT DURATION: 2000-2005 WEBSITE: http://www.ana.gov.br/gefap GEF GRANT: 6.615 US$ millions CO-FINANCING: 9.788 US$ millions PROJECT COST: 16.403 US$ millions INTRODUCTION and extensive vegetation (with more than 3,400 plant species) The Paraguay River Basin, part of the La Plata River Basin, support rich and diverse wildlife habitats, as well as many encompasses an area of 1,095,000 km2, straddling the borders endangered species such as the jaguar (Panthera onca). of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The Upper Waterfowl are abundant during the dry season. Paraguay River Basin covers an area of approximately 600,000 km2, of which, 362,376 km2 are in Brazil, encompassing large Since 1970s, the Upper Paraguay River Basin has undergone portions of the States of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do significant socioeconomic development. The consequent Sul. The Basin is of essential strategic importance within the intensive settlement patterns and land use, especially on the context of water resources management in the countries that Plateau, have had significant environmental impacts, including share it waters (Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay). The Basin com- deforestation, land degradation, soil erosion, and siltation, prises two distinct areas in which conditions vary significantly, water and environmental contamination, over-fishing, both in terms of natural and water resources: the Plateau and incidence of invasive species, among others. Various (Planalto) and the Floodplain (Pantanal), which is one of the planned large-scale infrastructure projects, with significant largest wetland areas on the planet, covering 147,574 km2 and implications for the trans-border regions, also pose significant providing an essential link between the biomes of the Brazilian environmental threats to this Natural Heritage Area, Wetland Cerrados and the Chaco plains of Bolivia and Paraguay. of International Importance, and Biosphere Reserve. Highly seasonal rainfall patterns, nutrient-rich flooded areas, 1 ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES Office for Sustainable Development & Environment THE PROJECT project accomplishments have been competent management The main objective of the Project is to promote the formulation at the various levels of the project, government commitment, and implementation of a Strategic Action Program (SAP) effective information sharing, and systematic stakeholder for the Integrated Management of the Pantanal and Upper participation. Project implementation benefited substantially Paraguay River Basin. Project activities are designed to enhance from the local expertise including the scientific community and provide protection to the environmental functioning of the from Federal or State universities, as well as technological units predominant ecological system, protect the wetland biodiversity, such as EMBRAPA and ANA. The project’s emphasis on using and implement strategic activities that address the root causes of existing institutions to implement activities has led to signifi- environmental degradation. The strengthening of basin institu- cant improvement of institutional capacities in the region. tions responsible for water resources management in the Basin, the generation and dissemination of information, and the inte- IMPLEMENTATION STATUS gration of environmental concerns into economic development All demonstration and pilot projects, feasibility and technical activities on a sustainable basis are key elements of this project. studies, and implementation activities have been finalized, and the DAB/SAP process has been concluded, consolidating the The project is composed of six components: (i) water quality results of four years of scientific and technical research, policy and environmental protection; (ii) conservation of the Pantanal; development and implementation, institutional coordination, (iii) soil degradation; (iv) stakeholder involvement and and broad public discussion process. sustainable develop- ment; (v) organizational structure development; and (vi) watershed management program implementation. During the project design phase, three regional workshops were held in the Basin with the participation of more than 200 persons, representing 60 civil, corporate, Panoramic view of the Pantanal nongovernmental and governmental entities (municipal, state, federal, and international). The project conducted planning and feasibility studies, All relevant basin actors and communities presented proposals implemented actions recommended in the Upper Paraguay for project activities, many of which became integral part of the Basin Conservation Plan (PCBAP), developed a Diagnostic project by constituting its 44 activities. All demonstration projects Analysis of the Basin (DAB), and formulated a Strategic Action and feasibility studies remained coordinated by the institutions Program for the Integrated Management of the Pantanal and the that formulated and presented them. Thus, the project design and Upper Paraguay River Basin (SAP), which was completed in execution process established an active feedback and commitment August 2004. In addition, the project triggered an unprece- from the main basin stakeholders in the project. dented public and stakeholder mobilization in the basin. A total of 116 public events involved more than 4,530 partici- The project has developed a rich and useful information base pants representing a total of 258 federal, state, and municipal and has promoted a basin-wide dialogue and information institutions, NGOs, and private enterprises. sharing, helping manage conflicts and instructing public participation. At the same time, the project has been able The project also actively supported the development and to achieve strong stakeholder ownership and has developed formalization of inter-institutional partnerships, which are management and monitoring instruments insuring good currently being replicated in other river basins, and promoted communication among five levels of players (the agencies exe- transboundary coordination with Bolivia and Paraguay on cuting project activities, the technical coordinator, the National the management of the basin water resources. The complete Water Agency-ANA, OAS and UNEP). Critical to the current collection of the Final Reports of all activities was published and 2 PANTANAL AND THE UPPER PARAGUAY RIVER BASIN – WATER PROJECT SERIES, NUMBER 3 – OCTOBER 2005 donated to federal universities in the riparian states and federal I Documented inventory of the endemic fish, fishing activities, and state reference libraries. The consolidated SAP report was and fish reproduction biology in the basin. The study results published in its full version in Portuguese and English and is also demonstrated that the volume of fish production in the Taquari available as an Executive Synthesis document published in the River has been reduced by 1/5 during the last 15 years. three basin languages, for regional and international dissemina- I Quantitative evaluation and detailed knowledge of the levels of tion. The executive summaries of the Final Reports of the DAB, chemical and heavy metal contamination of water, fish, aquatic the SAP, and the demonstration projects and studies are also fauna, sediments, and air and definition of mercury transporta- available at: http://www.ana.gov.br/gefap. tion routes, demonstrating that the mercury contamination in the UPRB is confined to a few specific regions (including PROJECT RESULTS: TOWARDS THE Barão de Melgaço area, the mining region of Poconé, and the INTEGRATED AND SUSTAINABLE area of Morrinhos), without serious threat of transboundary MANAGEMENT OF THE PANTANAL AND transport and contamination. THE UPRB I Mapping and characterization of the meander cuts The main project results and success indicators include: (i) (arrombados) in the Taquari River Basin, showing that Enhanced public and scientific awareness and knowledge of the the Zé da Costa e Caronal Arrombado (11,000 km2) has been Pantanal and the UPRB; (ii) Improved protection of the Pantanal affected by the overflow of the almost whole Taquari water, and the river system and its biodiversity; (iii) Improved public causing permanent floods in the Paiaguas Pantanal region. and stakeholder participation through direct involvement of communities in the identification and implementation of reme- II. CONSERVATION OF THE PANTANAL: dial measures; (iv) Strengthened institutional framework and PRESERVING THE NATURAL HABITAT staffing capabilities of the state and local environmental bodies THROUGH CONSERVATION UNITS AND for sustainable environmental and water resources management; SUSTAINABLE TOURISM (v) Improved implementation of policy instruments, including The project activities were essential for the creation, strengthen- water charges, for rational and sustainable water resources ing, and improvement of the system of Conservation Units