Trust Magazine

The Pantanal in South America

The big picture

In this Issue:

  • Spring 2024
  • A Change to Federal Methadone Regulations
  • A Journey to Earth’s Last Great Wilderness
  • Art With a View on History
  • Expanded Protections for a Biological Hot Spot
  • Honduras’ Coastal Wetlands
  • Insights on What Communities Need to Thrive
  • Majorities Say Social Media Is Good for Democracy
  • Americans Say Officials Should Avoid Heated or Aggressive Speech
  • Return on Investment
  • The Digital Divide
  • The High Cost of Putting a Roof Over Your Head
  • The Pantanal in South America
  • Tribal Nations First Ocean and Coastal Protections in U.S.
  • What Does Being Spiritual Mean?
  • View All Other Issues
The Pantanal in South America
Luciano Candisani Minden Pictures

Two-week-old Yacaré caimans stick their necks out in the Pantanal, the world’s largest freshwater wetlands. The South American flooded plains are a gigantic nursery for aquatic life—such as these alligator relatives—and, when the waters recede, for flocks of birds and mammals that feast on the dry land’s rich offerings. The Pantanal and the neighboring region of Gran Chaco Forest provide refuge and migration routes to countless wildlife species, such as the jaguar, giant anteater, giant river otter, maned wolf, and tapir. A new collaboration among The Pew Charitable Trusts and the region’s national, local, and Indigenous governments aims to preserve the rich landscape that spans 305 million acres across parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay by 2027.

The Parapetí River flows through mountains and valleys in the Bolivian Gran Chaco Forest. Above the river, the blue sky is scattered with white clouds.
Article

Project Aims to Protect South American Wildlands

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Article

In the heart of South America, two massive, thriving natural areas—the Pantanal and Gran Chaco Forest—need protection to continue to provide refuge and migration routes to countless wildlife species, maintain vital climate regulation services, and preserve residents’ rich cultural heritage and livelihoods.

A group of eight people—including Leonardo Tamburini and members of Charagua’s government—stand in front of a tall tree on a covered patio.
A group of eight people—including Leonardo Tamburini and members of Charagua’s government—stand in front of a tall tree on a covered patio.
Article

In Bolivia, Indigenous Peoples Are the Best Stewards

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Article

The tropical wetlands and associated ecosystems of the Pantanal cover as much as 44 million acres in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay—an area about the size of the U.S. state of Florida and larger than Greece. The neighboring dry forests of the Gran Chaco—at about 263 million acres, larger than the U.S. state of Texas and larger than every European country except Russia—span parts of Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

Art With a View on History Insights on What Communities Need to Thrive