Petition asks UNESCO to classify the Pantanal as “in danger”

By Isabella Caminoto / 31/08/2022 / 2 minutes reading

The Center for Biological Diversity, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has formulated a petition requesting that UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) classify the World Heritage Site of the Pantanal in Brazil — title granted in 2000, due to the biome's biodiversity.

The petition – filed this month – was addressed to the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Heritage Programme. The request mentions the 2020 fires — which consumed more than a fifth of the biome — and this year's fires as threats to the world's largest wetland and the wildlife it shelters.

ADVERTISING

If the request is accepted, the Pantanal may be covered with corrective actions. (((the echo)))

Furthermore, the UNESCO committee also has the possibility of adopting measures to ensure that Brazil fulfills its obligations – according to World Heritage Convention – and address threats to the integrity of the biome.

According to the World Heritage Convention, a site may be listed as “in danger” if it is “threatened by serious and specific dangers”, including, but not limited to: “disappearance caused by accelerated deterioration” or “destruction caused by changes in the use of assets”.

ADVERTISING