The Gran Chaco Pathways Towards a Sustainable Future 2025

In summary, land-use changes and continued, uncontrolled expansion for unsustainable agricultural production can lead to serious impacts across the Gran Chaco, including: –Soil degradation and declining productivity: Loss of native vegetation is accelerating soil degradation, reducing fertility and agricultural productivity. Deforestation, unsustainable land-use practices and climate change contribute to soil erosion, compaction and nutrient depletion, weakening the region’s long-term capacity for food production and economic stability. –Impacts on ecosystem services: Decrease in the biome’s ability to deliver essential ecosystem services that support the local economy, biodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities. –Loss of biodiversity: Increased loss of genetic diversity and pollinators. –Increase in greenhouse gases: Loss of carbon sequestration capacity and increased direct emissions. –Modification of the nutrient cycle: Reduced soil organic matter and loss of fertility. –Modification of the hydrological cycle: Decreased interception by vegetation cover, increased surface runoff, higher erosion rates, more intense and frequent floods, increased soil salinization and rising groundwater levels. –Loss of livelihoods for local communities: Decline in rural employment, increased land concentration and reduced access to natural resources. –Loss of cultural and spiritual values: Erosion of traditions and ancestral knowledge, along with the loss of sacred sites or places of historical and archaeological significance. –Economic loss: Droughts, wildfires and environmental degradation are projected to result in significant economic losses, with potential reductions in GDP and profound impacts on Indigenous and rural communities whose livelihoods depend on local resources. Environmental and social impacts in the Gran Chaco undermine the biome’s ability to provide critical ecosystem services, not only at local and regional levels but also globally. These impacts weaken the resilience of the biome, its biodiversity and the livelihoods of traditional communities that rely on it – not only for subsistence but also due to cultural and historical ties. Furthermore, these impacts affect the productive capacity of the biome itself, given the interdependence between the climate and agricultural production. The Gran Chaco: Pathways Towards a Sustainable Future 31