Ten million reais, about US$ 1.62 million, will be invested in a recovery project for the Taquari River, one of the most important in the Brazilian Pantanal, responsible for 36% of the waterbed of the plain in the biome.
Since the 1970s, the river has been suffering from human activity. The deforestation of the plateau for pasturelands reduced natural barriers, and sediments previously blocked by vegetation began to fall onto the plain. Sandbanks were formed in the riverbed, preventing the natural flow of the waters.
Unable to flow in the correct direction, the Taquari River changed course, in a process called arrombado (breach). The diversion of the river's course flooded productive and inhabited areas, making it impossible for Pantanal residents to stay.
Properties that bordered the river for about 170 kilometers and depended on it for transportation and survival watched as the Taquari dried to the point that boats became stranded in the mud and dry soil.
To avoid further breaches, the Taquari Vivo Institute, a non-profit civil society organization, convinced the government of Mato Grosso do Sul to invest in prevention measures, with resources from the Pro Solo program.
Ten million reais have been released for soil conservation actions. Part of this funding will be used for training programs for producers on proper practices, livestock management, and pasture care. Part of it will also be allocated to the renovation of 100 kilometers of roads in the cities of Alcinópolis, Figueirão, Camapuã, and Coxim, covering a total of 7,200 hectares.
“State, municipal, and local dirt roads can have an extremely negative impact on erosion and the transport of sediments to the rivers. Many times, very intense erosive processes originate from poorly planned or poorly maintained roads. Thus, integrating these roads into a soil and water conservation planning strategy is key to successfully protecting streams, brooks, and rivers. The roads must be integrated with the soil and water conservation structures in the properties they cross,” said Renato Roscoe, the Executive Director of the Institute.
He mentioned that this is the second phase of the Taquari River recovery project. The first phase served as a successful pilot project in the Pontinha Stream, in Coxim, northern Mato Grosso do Sul, covering 5,000 hectares.
“The change in this region...,” he added, “...is a long-term change, and we understand that yes, there should be other phases. What we really want is to encourage producers, other producers, to change the land exploitation culture in this region—meaning, a culture of more appropriate land use, with corrected pastures, well-managed pastures, and with that, we can protect the permanent preservation areas and legal reserves, ensuring the protection of the river.”
In addition to the government funding, the Taquari Vivo Institute is also investing its own money into the cause.