The Pantanal Conserving the World’s Largest Wetland

The Pantanal is the world's largest wetland, spanning Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, and providing ecosystem services valued at $112 billion. It faces threats from land use changes, upstream pollution, and climate change, which is predicted to make the region hotter and drier. WWF is implementing a 'Trinational Initiative' to promote sustainable infrastructure, expand protected areas, and eradicate deforestation, which has already caused a loss of over 12% of the region's forest cover.

• The Pantanal is the world's largest wetland, covering over 17 million hectares across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. It supports more than 4,700 plant and animal species and provides ecosystem services—including carbon sequestration, groundwater recharge, and river flow—valued at $112 billion, which exceeds the economic value of the region's crop and cattle production.
• The region's economy is heavily driven by agriculture and cattle ranching, particularly in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, which produce approximately 40% of Brazil's soy and over 20% of its cattle. In 2015, the states within the Pantanal generated more than $70 billion for the three countries involved.
• The ecosystem is threatened by upstream pollution from mining and urban runoff, as well as land use changes. Expansion of agriculture and ranching has led to the loss of more than 12% of the region's forest cover, and the document warns that native vegetation could disappear by 2050 without intervention.
• Climate change is expected to increase average temperatures by several degrees by the end of the century, leading to more extreme floods and droughts, the shrinking of the wetland, and impaired plant function.
• WWF is supporting the 'Trinational Initiative for the Integrated and Sustainable Development of the Pantanal,' a joint strategy between Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay to establish a common vision for the region's future and fulfill their National Determined Contributions and Sustainable Development Goals.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). The Pantanal Conserving the World’s Largest Wetland. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/663/2iyyq7ml6t_Pantanal_Snapshot_8a__002__Copy.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. The Pantanal Conserving the World’s Largest Wetland. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/663/2iyyq7ml6t_Pantanal_Snapshot_8a__002__Copy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=The Pantanal Conserving the World’s Largest Wetland |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/663/2iyyq7ml6t_Pantanal_Snapshot_8a__002__Copy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndpantanal, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{The Pantanal Conserving the World’s Largest Wetland}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/663/2iyyq7ml6t_Pantanal_Snapshot_8a__002__Copy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }