The Paraná River Basin and its ecosystem services

METCALFE, CHRIS D.; MENONE, MIRTA L

The Paraná River Basin. Managing wtaer resources to sustain ecosystem services.

Routledge- Taylor & Francis Group

Año: 2020; p. 1 - 16

The Paraná River Basin in South America is the second largest on the continent after the Amazon, and the 13th largest river system in the world, with a basin area of approximately 2.6 × 106 km2 and a population in the basin of approximately 100 million people. The Paraná River and its tributaries and wetlands are of great economic, ecological and cultural importance to the region and to the world. Because of rapid urbanization, expanding agriculture and the development of hydroelectric projects, this hydrologic system is under stress. These changes within the basin have impacted ecosystem services, including habitat, cultural,regulating and provision services. Strategies are needed to maintain these ecosystem services in order sustain the growing human populations within the region. One of the impacts on ecosystem services has been loss of habitat, which has reduced biodiversity within the basin. Climate change and invasive species have also negatively impacted the basin. Concurrent with the loss of biodiversity has been an increase in the numbers of endangeredspecies within the basin. These species include the critically endangered fish species, Brycon orbignyanus (known locally as Piracanjuba), the endangered Four-eyed frog (Pleurodema kriegi) and the Neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis), which is ?data deficient?in conservation status. Invasions of exotic species, such as the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) into the Paraná basin may also alter the ecology, including negative effects on ecosystem services. In this book, experts in a range of disciplines review the hydrology, geomorphology, ecology,water quality, water resource management, international cooperation and prospects for meeting the Sustainable Development Goal for water and sanitation in the basin.