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Deforestation in Amazonian forests and the destruction of wetlands are lowering the water level in rivers.
The Parana-Paraguay Waterway, the river route through which 75 percent of Argentina's foreign trade passes, is suffering a historic decline in operations due to climate change.
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The river route, which is a 3,400-kilometer engineering project on the Parana and Paraguay rivers, allows ships from ports in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay to enter and exit the continent.
Its operations have been affected since May 2020, when the river water levels fell to the lowest levels since Dec. 1971.
The water level drop has prevented some large vessels from passing through and has reduced the cargo capacity of the 21 ports along the rivers.
where #mangroves grow they safeguard coasts/habitats/people - esp. in times of #ClimateChange + rising sea levels: archipelagic nation of Indonesia + near-equatorial countries throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America +the Caribbean @RamsarConv @CIFOR #WorldWetlandsDay https://t.co/16lVmuZUHM
— REDDCopernicus (@REDD_Copernicus) February 2, 2021
The drop in water levels is a consequence of the deforestation that is occurring in the Amazon rainforest, the Great Wetland (Pantanal), and the Parana and Paraguay rivers' marshland system.
"More extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, are expected in the coming years. This reality will require further coordinated actions among South American countries' governments," Global Water Partnership (GWP) member Pablo Bereciartua warned.
Environmental movements are putting pressure on the government of President Alberto Fernandez to launch a bidding process on new projects that would reduce the waterway's environmental impact.
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