Development and Conservation Frontiers in the Pantanal Wetland

Abstract

The challenges related to the conservation of the Pantanal are analysed through a study of the Cuiabá River Basin, one of the most impacted areas in the Upper Paraguay River Basin and located in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso. The research findings show a clear disconnection between official monitoring data and wider perceptions of processes of eco-hydrological change. In addition, it is found that putting environmental regulatory tools into practice is problematic because of the pregiven foundations of conservation strategies promoted by public agencies. The most significant result of the analysis is the uncertainty in relation to the responsibility for environmental problems, which has created a perverse chain of ‘otherness–noneness–nothingness’. This serves to conceal the underlying causes of environmental degradation in the Cuiabá basin and limit possibilities for resolution. The main conclusion is that, beyond narrow development and conservation debates, it is necessary to account for a range of highly politicised issues at the intersection between interpersonal relations and socio-economic pressures.