Bio and cultural diversity in The Middle Paraná River

BLETTLER, MARTÍN; ESPÍNDOLA, LUIS ; BERROS, MARÍA VALERIA

River Culture. Life as a dance to the rhythm of the water

Unesco

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2023; p. 537 - 560

The Middle Paraná River (MPR) runs 722 km from the Paraguay-Paraná Rivers confluence to the city of Diamante (Entre Ríos province), where the Paraná River Delta begins. It crosses the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Ríos to the east and Chaco and Santa Fe to the west, in Argentina. The Middle Paraná has a large floodplain of 6 to 40 km wide with permanent and temporarily water bodies (lakes, ponds, secondary channels, tributaries and creeks) and the main channel shows a typical anabranching pattern (constrictions, sandy bars, islands, expansions) with mobile, sandy bed sediments. The water bodies of the floodplain are continually being modified at each periodic flooding event. The conservation of the Middle Paraná River is crucial for the conservation of the Delta and the Río de la Plata macro-system (downstream). The Middle Paraná tempers the climate conditions, acting as a biogeographical turntable between tropical and temperate climate areas. The Middle Paraná River-floodplain system is environmental and socially relevant since i) it is an important biological corridor, ii) it is an important wetland that serves as refuge and food for millions of individuals from thousands of species (including endangered species), iii) it is an important route and stepping stone for bird and fish migrations, iv) water and other natural resources such as fish are important in the regional and subsistence economy, favouring artisanal fishing, livestock and tourism, v) it harbours a rich cultural diversity and is an importance source of artistic and spiritual inspiration. However, today the entire Paraná River is threatened by different alterations and human impacts. The hydrological regime and biotic communities of this river section have been experiencing considerable changes over the last fifty years as a consequence of the large damming works established especially in the upper basin (Upper Paraná in Brazil), which has impacted on the lower reaches. In addition, the marginal vegetation is highly degraded and deforestation in certain areas acquires alarming characteristics. A planned huge river work (the Paraguay-Paraná waterway) would severely impact the natural hydromorphological dynamics. Other serious problems are the extreme plastic pollution as a direct consequence of the mismanagement of solid urban waste, the increasing cattle raising activities which promotes the quickly degradation of this environment, etc.