“Sustainable management of water in the Pantanal
(South American wetland)”
On this webpage we will keep you informed about the activities of this international research network which started in October 2008. The first phase of the project (2008-2010) involves scientists from Scotland and Brazil (with parnters in Germany, Holland and Canada), who work together to explore the potential for modelling, informed data capture and scenario analysis to be used in a participatory way to inform future policy-making in the Pantanal, a highly vulnerable ecosystem of global significance.
The initial activities of the network will be focused on the development of a conceptual model for the Cuiaba River, in the northern section of the Pantanal. The conceptual model will facilitate the subsequent development of a process model of the hydrology and pollutant hydrochemistry of the region. The process model will eventually provide pollutant source apportionment and a heightened understanding of the hydrological and source controls on the ecological status of the water.
The hydrological focus would be on the prediction of the extent and dynamics of the ‘flood wave’, which occurs when the principal rivers of the region overtop their restricting levees, taking into account data on groundwater levels, soil moisture deficits and local anecdotal data on response to flooding. The chemical focus would be on the transport and transformation of nutrients delivered to the water by urban and rural sources. The ecological focus would be on identifying stress metrics for the ecology as well as anecdotal data from local landowners and stakeholders.
For more information about the network, please contact to Dr. Antonio Ioris (Aberdeen University and ACES) at geo539@abdn.ac.uk or +44 1224 273703 or Dr. Andy Vinten (The Macaulay Institute) at a.vinten@macaulay.ac.uk.
Financial support from The Leverhulme Trust to the activities of the international research network is kindly acknowledged.
NETWORK PARTICIPANTS: Aberdeen University, The Macaulay Institute, Pantanal Research Centre (CPP), based at the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation (Embrapa), Mato Grosso Environment Agency (SEMA-MT), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Alterra (Holland).
Read more about the International Network from The Macaulay Institute webpage at http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/pantanal
The Pantanal International Network is an initiative endorsed by the Global Land Project.
NEW: Seminar given in the University of Aberdeen on 20 May 2010 by Dr. Pierre Girard, professor of UFMT and general coordinator of the Sinergia Programme on water management and climate change in the Paraguay River Basin: "The Pantanal: A Wetland of Global Importance"
BBC report about the Pantanal (published on 03 Jul 2009):
FIRST WORKSHOP ON THE CUIABA RIVER
25-27 March, 2009, Cuiaba, Brazil
A GREAT START!!!
Summary: The first workshop was held in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, on 25-27th March 2009. The aim of the workshop was to bring together Brazilian stakeholders and academics, to discuss the problems of the Cuiaba River Basin and to start to develop a conceptual model of the catchment. The river drains sewage from about 800,000 people, with only 20% treatment, and soil and agrochemicals from areas of intensive agricultural production on the surrounding plateau into the Pantanal - a vast wetland area world renowned for its biodiversity and ecology. The workshop was attended by over 20 people, including the Brazilian environmental protection, nature conservation and the agricultural research corporation (Embrapa) and the universities of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.
Here are some pictures of the discussions and the fieldtrip along the Cuaiba River:
Causal Loop Diagrama of Processes Taking Place in the Cuiabá River Basin (one of the outcomes of the workshop)
SECOND WORKSHOP ON THE CUIABA RIVER
18-21 August 2009, Aberdeen, UK
Summary: A group of scientists based in Scotland, Brazil and the Netherlands attended a workshop in Aberdeen between the 18th and 21st of August 2009 to exchange knowledge and research experiences in the Pantanal (a large tropical wetland system in the middle of South America, shared between Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay). The audience also included representatives from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and data provided by the Brazilian water regulatory agency (SEMA-MT). The programme comprised a range of discussions and presentations on water quality, eco-hydrology and water governance in Europe and in Brazil. The results of the workshop are now going to inform the preparation of further research projects in the Pantanal (with an initial focus on the Cuiabá River Basin, one of the most heavily impacted catchments) to be developed in a partnership between Brazilian and European scientists. The final outcomes of the research are expected to provide inputs to environmental regulators and local water stakeholders about appropriate water quality standards (ecological and chemical), and what is needed to achieve these standards. This initiative is sponsored by The Leverhulme Trust (as part of a three-year international network) and the organisation of this workshop was also supported by the Macaulay Institute via its Catchment Management team.
The land use pressures in the plateaux (Planalto) surrounding the Pantanal wetland have been increasing since 70s, raising the soil losses and the use of fertilizers and pesticides, specially related to activities of cattle ranching and crops production as soy bean, corn, cotton and sugar cane in quite large farms very mechanized and dependent of fossil fuel; this sugar cane area must increase to produce biofuel, a programme of Federal Government. In addition the Cuiabá/Varzea Grande city area is responsible for the discharge of almost 80% of all urban effluent and solid waste into the river and the Manso Dam has affected the hydrological regime of Cuiabá River. In the Poconé area contamination by mercury as a result of gold mining has occurred. Inundation of the floodplains is a key eco-hydrological process. The development of dams in the upper reaches of the rivers feeding the Pantanal has has a significant impact on flows. This means low flows are higher, but high flows are lower.
Through workshop discussions, the group conceived the following main areas for development of collaborative ideas and projects through soliciting Brazilian and European research grants. The main research areas now to be pursued by the Pantanal Network are:
1) Conceptual modelling of pressures and impacts on the Pantanal from the Cuiabá river.This requires quantification of pollutant loads, processing during transport, and identification of ecological impacts of these loads.
2) Improving the current understanding of the relations between nature and society relating to water use and conservation on the Cuiabá River Basi
This requires stakeholder dialogue along the Cuiaba river and in the Pantanal, to identify issues and co-construct solutions.
3) Measurement of biophysical gradients of Cuiaba river impacts on the Pantanal
This requires sampling of standing and running waters on longitudinal and transverse gradients, up and downstream of Cuiaba.
4) Hydrological models of sources of water
We are developing ideas for an approach to this problem, using stable isotopes to distinguish sources of water.
5) Land use and pollutant delivery from Planalto
This requires the development of small paired catchment projects which will quantify export from land use in the Planalto and demonstrate mitigation.
6) Communication and knowledge exchange
This requires building networks and capacity for creative knowledge exchange and learning between researchers and policy makers, businesses, local communities and the wider public, with a view to strengthening adaptive capacities.
Click here for some presentations given at the Second Workshop:
Dr. Debora Calheiros: “Ecological Pressures and Impacts in the Pantanal”
Dr. Peter Zeilhofer: “Land Use and Water Resources in the Cuiabá River Basin”
MSc. Carlos Padovani: “Monitoring and Modelling Flood Dynamics in the Pantanal” (please contact carlos.padovani@gmail.com)
Dr. Tom Ball: “Flood Management in Scotland”
Dr. Sarah Dunn: “Modelling Hydrology and Nitrogen Dynamics in Scotland”
Dr. Martyn Futter: “An Introduction to the INCA Framework for River Water Quality Modelling”
Dr. Luigi Spezia: “New Insights into Long-term River Chemistry Time Series from Periodic Multivariate Normal Hidden Markov Models”
Dr. Rob Jongman: “Experience of Integrated Catchment Management in Taquari River, Pantanal”
Dr. Simon Langan: "The Dee and Tarland Catchments"
Dr. Jannette MacDonald: “Strategy for Diffuse Pollution Mitigation in Scotland” (please contact Jannette.MacDonald@sepa.org.uk)
Dr. Antonio Ioris: "Water Governance and the Regulation of Water Use in Brazil and in the Pantanal"
Dr. Klaus Glenk: "Values Related to Water Resources and Water management"
Dr. Andy Vinten: "Lunan Monitored Priority Catchment Project"
Pictures of the Second Workshop:
BASIC BIBLIOGRAPY ABOUT THE PANTANAL:
Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management Practices in the Pantanal and Upper Paraguay River Basin
http://www.ana.gov.br/GestaoRecHidricos/ProgramasProjetos/docs/PAE_Pantanal_Ingles.pdf
High Paraguay Basin Conservation Plan – PCBAP
http://gis.esri.com/library/userconf/proc97/proc97/to650/pap603/p603.htm
Pantanal Agriculture Research Centre - Embrapa Pantanal (in Portuguese)
Pantanal Research Centre (CPP)
http://www.cppantanal.org.br/principal_ing.php
Proceedings of the Symposium: “The Pantanal: Scientific and Institutional Challenges in Management of a Large and Complex Wetland Ecosystem”, 24th Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetlands Scientists, 8-13 June 2003, New Orleans, Louisiana (published by USACE)
http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/sr04-1.pdf
Water monitoring bulletin Feb. 2007 (by National Water Agency, ANA – in Portuguese)
http://www.ana.gov.br/bibliotecavirtual/arquivos/BoletimAltoParaguai_fev2007.pdf
Geographical Information System (GIS) of the Cuiaba River (by CPRM - in Portuguese); additional maps at www.cprm.gov.br
http://www.cprm.gov.br/publique/media/sig_cuiaba_vol1_texto.pdf
Inter-linkages Approach for Wetland Management: The Case of The Pantanal Wetland.2004. UNU-IAS Report.
