Topic: 2025-Conserving Wetlands
Country: Brazil
Delegate Name: Wilden Olger
Committee: IUCN
Country: Brazil
Delegate: Wilden Olger
Topic A: Wetland Conservation
Wetland conservation is an extremely important issue for Brazil. After all, the Pantanal region, one of the largest wetlands in the world, is located near Brazil’s western border (Pantanal Conservation Area). Unfortunately, this region is also important for Brazil’s economy. Cattle ranching and tourism are important to Brazil and are in direct conflict with the conservation of the wetland. Expanding ranching areas and opening tourism can lead to problems with erosion, water quality, and the indigenous population (Brown). Brazil seeks to find a solution that can conserve the wetlands while continuing to allow for economic growth in the Pantanal Region.
The Pantanal Conservation Area was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1993, it is located in the Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso de Sul states of Brazil, and takes up about 1.3 percent of the Pantanal region.while the area covers a whopping 187,818 hectares, it’s still only 1.3 percent of the region, and it has been suggested that the area be increased to cover more of the region (Pantanal Conservation Area). However, Laws being put in place by the states the area is contained within seek to lessen restrictions for cattle ranching and tourism, allowing ranches to be expanded closer to rivers and providing access to tourists in areas that were previously closed off. The motivation for these laws is to increase the economic productivity of the region, which will help with Mato Grosso’s decline in socioeconomic status (Brown). Brazil believes that the best solution here will allow for economic growth while also protecting the Pantanal region. Brazil has introduced the concept of a sustainable ranch label, which offers economic benefits to ranches with environmental protection and fair employment conditions (Conserving the). Solutions similar to this will allow Brazil and other countries that need wetlands for other traditional and economic reasons to balance their own economy with the environmental importance that wetlands hold.
Works Cited
Brown, Sarah. “New Brazil bill puts cattle pasture over Pantanal wetland.” Mongabay, 9 August 2022, https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/new-brazil-bill-puts-cattle-pasture-over-pantanal-wetland/.
“Conserving the World’s Largest Working Wetland | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.” National Zoo, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/conservation-ecology-center/conserving-worlds-largest-working-wetland. Accessed 14 February 2025.
“Pantanal Conservation Area.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/999/. Accessed 14 February 2025.
