Pantanal temperatures rose nearly 2°C, study shows
A new study by MapBiomas showed that the average temperatures in the Pantanal rose by 1.8°C in 2024, surpassing the 1.5°C limit established by the Paris Agreement. Among Brazil’s biomes, the Pantanal recorded the highest rate of temperature increase in recent years.
In the Pantanal, the average temperature rose by 0.47°C every ten years. Between 1985 and 2024, the average temperature was 26.2°C but reached 28°C last year, according to the study.
The MapBiomas report indicates that between 1985 and 2024, temperatures have increased across Brazil at an average rate of 0.29°C per decade. However, some biomes, such as the Pantanal and the Cerrado, are warming more rapidly.
According to the study, the rise in temperature is the result of global warming, as well as droughts and wildfires that have reduced the Pantanal’s vegetation cover.
Luciana Rizzo, a researcher at MapBiomas Atmosfera, said that the combination of these factors has led to an increase in fires, which burned 2.6 million hectares of the biome in Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso in 2024.
She explained that in very dry years with high temperatures, the risk of fire increases significantly and the flames destroy the natural vegetation. According to her, it is possible to reverse this scenario by combating deforestation and preserving ecosystems.
The presence of water in the Pantanal is also essential to control temperature variations in the biome and in other parts of Brazil.
The Deputy Secretary of Semadesc (Secretary of Environment, Development, Science, Technology and Innovation), Fábio Falcette, highlighted that the Pantanal still has 84% of its native area preserved. He advocates for a change in culture regarding the application of environmental laws in Brazil.
“Today, laws are made not to prevent damage but to punish offenders. Of course, every violation must be punished, that’s beyond question. But science shows that encouraging producers to preserve yields much better results,” said Falcette.
He also mentioned the PSA Conservation Program, implemented in the state, which provides payments to landowners in the Pantanal for preserving areas beyond those already required by law. Depending on the size of the preserved area, producers can receive up to R$ 200,000 for conservation efforts.
Falcette also stated that he plans to present the proposal at COP 30, which will be held in Belém from November 10 to 21, with the goal of obtaining financial resources to expand the incentives to new landowners and strengthen the PSAs.