Environmental issues and natural resource sustainability in the middle and lower Paraná basin

MINOTTI, PRISCILLA G.; BAIGÚN, CLAUDIO R.M.; PUIG, ALBA; KANDUS, PATRICIA; QUINTANA, RUBEN DARIO; VICARI, RICARDO; BÓ, ROBERTO FABIÁN; MADANES, NORA

Concepción, Chile

Simposio; 7th International Symposium of Ecohydraulics; 2009

ISE 2009 - Universidad de Concepción

The Paraná Delta region is a huge mosaic of rivers and wetlands which stretches through the final 300 km of the Paraná River, covering 17,500 km2. These wetlands exhibit rich terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, highly adapted to annual hydrological cycles. Historically, livestock, wildlife and fish were exploited in a sustainable way. In the last years, however, flood intensity, amplitude and variability have decreased due to the combined effect of flow regulation by dams in the upper basin, waterway drainage works on the main channel and new road infrastructure crossing the region, promoting new scenarios for resource use. We have started a project to develop tools to assess wetland ecological integrity based on a) functional classification of wetland types using a hydrogeomorphic approach, b) identification of reference conditions, c) identification of ecosystem integrity indicators at different spatial scales and d) sustainability analysis of current land and resource uses. We also review how anthropogenic changes are impacting the Delta ecosystem functioning, its biodiversity and resource sustainability, comparing past and present riverscape uses in terms of goods and services