Conserving the Pantanal and Gran Chaco

The Pantanal and Gran Chaco represent two ecologically distinct areas—the world’s largest tropical wetland and a remarkably large dry forest—which, together, provide vital aquatic habitat, nutrient renewal, migration routes, and flood control for millions of animals and people living downstream.

As one of the planet’s most ecologically significant landscapes, this South American region supports myriad plant and animal species, including jaguars, giant anteaters, giant river otters, maned wolves, and Brazilian tapirs.

This continental frontier—an epicenter of wildlife, culture, and economic opportunity—is increasingly under threat from the growing demands of a rapidly expanding agriculture industry and from climate change-related environmental pressures. But renewed focus on conservation-oriented solutions for this region presents an opportunity to protect the area’s rich biodiversity and cultures.

In partnership with local nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, landowners, and Indigenous organizations in both Brazil and Bolivia, Pew is working to expand and enhance protections for interconnected conservation lands, Indigenous territories, and private ranch land habitat areas throughout the region.