Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EN, United Kingdom.
Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, United Kingdom.
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Oct 15;687:1011-1027. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.023. Epub 2019 Jun 5.
The Pantanal is the world's largest freshwater wetland, located in the geographical centre of South America. It is relatively well conserved, and features unique landscapes, ecosystems, and traditional cultural practices, shaped by the dynamic interaction of climatological, hydrological, geological, ecological, and anthropogenic factors. Its ecological integrity is increasingly threatened by human activities, particularly, in the wider catchment area, for example, deforestation, agricultural intensification, and construction of hydropower plants, with implications for local people's livelihoods. We present a synthesis of current literature on physical, ecological, and human dimensions of environmental change in the wetland, outline key research gaps, and discuss environmental management implications. The literature review suggests that better integration of insights from multiple disciplines is needed and that environmental management could be improved through a better grounding in traditional practices and local perspectives. We conclude with four recommendations: First, future environmental change research should build more strongly on the positive example of a small number of case studies where traditional and local knowledge of the environment was put into a dialogue with scientific knowledge and techniques. Second, we recommend a more explicit consideration of longer temporal scales (>10 years) in environmental change research, making use of oral and written histories, as well as palaeoecological techniques, to understand system responses to different magnitudes of human and climatic pressures, and ultimately, to inform future adaptation activities. Third, we suggest that enhanced stakeholder participation in conceiving and implementing research projects in the Pantanal would strengthen the practical relevance of research in addressing environmental management challenges, livelihood needs, and advocacy processes. Fourth, we call for a more systemic and integrative perspective on environmental education, which encompasses engagement activities between researchers, policy-makers, and citizens, to foster environmental awareness, scientific literacy, and public participation.
潘塔纳尔湿地是世界上最大的淡水湿地，位于南美洲地理中心。它相对得到了较好的保护，拥有独特的景观、生态系统和传统文化习俗，这些都是由气候、水文、地质、生态和人为因素的动态相互作用所塑造的。其生态完整性正日益受到人类活动的威胁，特别是在更广泛的集水区，例如森林砍伐、农业集约化和水电站建设等，这对当地人民的生计产生了影响。我们综合了当前关于湿地物理、生态和人类环境变化维度的文献，概述了关键的研究差距，并讨论了环境管理的影响。文献综述表明，需要更好地整合多个学科的见解，并且通过更好地将传统实践和当地观点纳入环境管理，可以改进环境管理。我们总结了四条建议：第一，未来的环境变化研究应更多地借鉴少数案例研究的积极经验，这些案例研究将环境的传统和本地知识与科学知识和技术进行了对话。第二，我们建议在环境变化研究中更明确地考虑更长的时间尺度（>10 年），利用口头和书面历史以及古生态学技术，了解系统对不同程度的人类和气候压力的反应，最终为未来的适应活动提供信息。第三，我们建议增强利益相关者在潘塔纳尔参与构思和实施研究项目的参与度，以加强研究在解决环境管理挑战、生计需求和倡导进程方面的实际相关性。第四，我们呼吁对环境教育采取更系统和综合的观点，其中包括研究人员、政策制定者和公民之间的参与活动，以培养环境意识、科学素养和公众参与。
