IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i9p5198-d549792.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Conserving the Paraguay-Paraná Fluvial Corridor in the XXI Century: Conflicts, Threats, and Challenges

Author

Listed:
  • Claudio Rafael Mariano Baigún

    (IIIA-CONICET, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina)

  • Priscilla Gail Minotti

    (IIIA-CONICET, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina)

Abstract

The Paraguay-Paraná river system represents a unique, free-flowing corridor that extends about 3500 km southwards from the Pantanal to the Rio de la Plata estuary, crossing four countries. The absence of fragmentation along the main channels and its still well-connected floodplains have preserved longitudinal and lateral functional and structural connectivity, defining critical ecological gradients for the biota and species life cycles. The lack of dams represents a noticeable feature that benefits migratory species supporting small-scale fisheries providing food security and the conservation of other ecosystem services with associated livelihoods. The ecological integrity of this corridor could be severely affected by the potential expansion of the Hidrovía Paraguay-Paraná for improving commercial trade, the foreseen installation of new dams in the Paraná basin, in addition to other current impacts and threats. Conservation of the corridor for societal benefits, involving the sustainable development of activities associated with the use of the fluvial territory, requires maintaining the natural ecological process that sustains livelihoods and biodiversity. This calls for innovative strategies encompassing water governance process, social and environmental information related to expected impacts, a better understanding of synergies between processes, and foremost an interdisciplinary approach to design and apply integrative and multi-scale management policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudio Rafael Mariano Baigún & Priscilla Gail Minotti, 2021. "Conserving the Paraguay-Paraná Fluvial Corridor in the XXI Century: Conflicts, Threats, and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-28, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5198-:d:549792
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5198/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5198/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bucher, Enrique H. & Huszar, Paul C., 1995. "Critical environmental costs of the Paraguay-Parana waterway project in South America," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 3-9, October.
    2. Béné, Christophe & Arthur, Robert & Norbury, Hannah & Allison, Edward H. & Beveridge, Malcolm & Bush, Simon & Campling, Liam & Leschen, Will & Little, David & Squires, Dale & Thilsted, Shakuntala H. &, 2016. "Contribution of Fisheries and Aquaculture to Food Security and Poverty Reduction: Assessing the Current Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 177-196.
    3. Hussein Abaza & Andrea Baranzini (ed.), 2002. "Implementing Sustainable Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2633.
    4. Peter Richards & Heitor Pellegrina & Leah VanWey & Stephanie Spera, 2015. "Soybean Development: The Impact of a Decade of Agricultural Change on Urban and Economic Growth in Mato Grosso, Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, April.
    5. Seidl, Andrew F. & Moraes, Andre Steffens, 2000. "Global valuation of ecosystem services: application to the Pantanal da Nhecolandia, Brazil," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 1-6, April.
    6. Miriam Seemann, 2016. "Inclusive recognition politics and the struggle over hydrosocial territories in two Bolivian highland communities," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(1), pages 157-172, January.
    7. Rutgerd Boelens & Jaime Hoogesteger & Erik Swyngedouw & Jeroen Vos & Philippus Wester, 2016. "Hydrosocial territories: a political ecology perspective," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(1), pages 1-14, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jichuan Sheng & Xiao Han, 2023. "Constructing payments for ecosystem services hydrosocial territories through assemblage practices: China’s Xin’an river basin eco-compensation pilot," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 41(2), pages 375-391, March.
    2. Viglizzo, Ernesto F. & Frank, Federico C., 2006. "Land-use options for Del Plata Basin in South America: Tradeoffs analysis based on ecosystem service provision," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 140-151, April.
    3. Sean Irwin & Mark S. Flaherty & Joachim Carolsfeld, 2021. "The contribution of small-scale, privately owned tropical aquaculture to food security and dietary diversity in Bolivia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 199-218, February.
    4. Daniele T. P. Souza & Eugenia A. Kuhn & Arjen E. J. Wals & Pedro R. Jacobi, 2020. "Learning in, with, and through the Territory: Territory-Based Learning as a Catalyst for Urban Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Davies-Colley, Christian & Smith, Willie, 2012. "Implementing environmental technologies in development situations: The example of ecological toilets," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 1-8.
    6. Shrestha, Ram K. & Seidl, Andrew F. & Moraes, Andre S., 2002. "Value of recreational fishing in the Brazilian Pantanal: a travel cost analysis using count data models," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1-2), pages 289-299, August.
    7. Rodney T. Muringai & Paramu Mafongoya & Romano T. Lottering & Raymond Mugandani & Denver Naidoo, 2021. "Unlocking the Potential of Fish to Improve Food and Nutrition Security in Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    8. Sandra Ricart & Antonio M. Rico-Amorós, 2022. "Can agriculture and conservation be compatible in a coastal wetland? Balancing stakeholders’ narratives and interactions in the management of El Hondo Natural Park, Spain," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 589-604, June.
    9. Mahbub Hossain & M. Niaz Asadullah & Uma Kambhampati, 2021. "Women’s empowerment and gender-differentiated food allocation in Bangladesh," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 739-767, September.
    10. Li, Jiaxin & Wang, Zihan & Cheng, Xin & Shuai, Jing & Shuai, Chuanmin & Liu, Jing, 2020. "Has solar PV achieved the national poverty alleviation goals? Empirical evidence from the performances of 52 villages in rural China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    11. Buchs, Arnaud & Calvo-Mendieta, Iratxe & Petit, Olivier & Roman, Philippe, 2021. "Challenging the ecological economics of water: Social and political perspectives," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    12. Duncan, Nicolette & de Silva, Sanjiv & Conallin, John & Freed, Sarah & Akester, Michael & Baumgartner, Lee & McCartney, Matthew & Dubois, Mark & Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali, 2021. "Fish for whom?: Integrating the management of social complexities into technical investments for inclusive, multi-functional irrigation," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    13. Patrick Gilman & Víctor Pochat & Ariel Dinar, 2008. "Whither La Plata? Assessing the state of transboundary water resource cooperation in the basin," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 32(3), pages 203-214, August.
    14. Peter Richards & Tom Reardon & David Tschirley & Thom Jayne & Jim Oehmke & David Atwood, 2016. "Cities and the future of agriculture and food security: a policy and programmatic roundtable," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(4), pages 871-877, August.
    15. Nur Syafiqah Mat Zain & Lai Kuan Lee, 2022. "Health Complaints, Mental Status and Quality of Life among the Aquaculture Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Region of Peninsular Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-14, December.
    16. Naylor, Rosamond & Fang, Safari & Fanzo, Jessica, 2023. "A global view of aquaculture policy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    17. Filippo Menga & Michael K. Goodman, 2022. "The High Priests of Global Development: Capitalism, Religion and the Political Economy of Sacrifice in a Celebrity‐led Water Charity," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(4), pages 705-735, July.
    18. Lisa L. Rausch & Holly K. Gibbs, 2016. "Property Arrangements and Soy Governance in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso: Implications for Deforestation-Free Production," Land, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-16, March.
    19. Liu, Laihui & An, Suxia, 2023. "Deindustrialization and the incidence of poverty: Empirical evidence from developing countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    20. William Skinner & Georgina Drew & Douglas K. Bardsley, 2023. "“Half a flood’s no good”: flooding, viticulture, and hydrosocial terroir in a South Australian wine region," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(2), pages 549-564, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5198-:d:549792. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.