Expanded Ecotourism Development - Pantanal

Overview

Location: Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Description: This project expands sustainable ecotourism initiatives across a wider area of the Pantanal region, focusing on community-based tourism and diversification of ecotourism activities. The project aims to generate revenue for conservation, raise awareness about the Pantanal ecosystem, and provide economic benefits to local communities while minimizing environmental impacts.

Project Landscape

Key Features and Benefits

Environmental

• Conservation Revenue Generation: Ecotourism generates revenue that can be directly invested in conservation efforts.
• Increased Pantanal Awareness: The project raises awareness among tourists about the importance of the Pantanal ecosystem and the need for its conservation.
• Sustainable Land Management Promotion: Ecotourism encourages sustainable land management practices by providing economic incentives for conservation.
• Alternatives to Destructive Practices: The project offers alternative income sources for local communities, reducing their reliance on environmentally destructive practices.
• Support for Local Communities: Ecotourism provides economic benefits to local communities, improving their livelihoods and fostering environmental stewardship.

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity Protection Incentives: Ecotourism provides economic incentives for biodiversity conservation by demonstrating the value of healthy ecosystems.
• Minimized Tourism Impact: The project emphasizes minimizing the environmental impact of tourism activities through responsible practices.
• Habitat Preservation: Ecotourism supports habitat preservation by generating funds for conservation and promoting responsible land use.
• Responsible Wildlife Viewing: The project promotes responsible wildlife viewing practices, minimizing disturbance to animals and their habitats.
• Enhanced Ecosystem Resilience: By supporting conservation efforts, ecotourism contributes to enhancing the resilience of the Pantanal ecosystem.

Social

• Tourism Job Creation: The project creates jobs in the tourism sector, including guiding, hospitality, and transportation.
• Local Community Income: Ecotourism generates income for local communities, improving their livelihoods and economic well-being.
• Improved Local Infrastructure: The development of ecotourism often leads to improvements in local infrastructure, benefiting both tourists and residents.
• Local Stakeholder Empowerment: The project empowers local stakeholders by involving them in tourism planning and management.
• Cultural Preservation: Ecotourism can contribute to the preservation of local cultures and traditions.

Potential Impacts

Environmental

• Increased Tourism Pressure: Managing increased tourism pressure on the Pantanal's fragile ecosystems is crucial.
• Pollution Risk: Tourism activities can generate pollution if not managed responsibly. The project needs to implement strategies to minimize pollution from waste, transportation, and other sources.
• Visitor Impact Management: Careful management of visitor impacts on the environment is essential. This includes limiting visitor numbers in sensitive areas, establishing designated trails, and educating tourists about responsible behavior.
• Infrastructure Development: Developing infrastructure to support tourism needs to be done sustainably, minimizing environmental damage.
• Environmental Monitoring: Ongoing monitoring of environmental conditions is necessary to assess the impacts of ecotourism and adapt management strategies accordingly.

Biodiversity

• Wildlife Disturbance: Tourism activities can disturb wildlife if not managed carefully. The project needs to implement guidelines and regulations for wildlife viewing and other activities to minimize disturbance.
• Invasive Species Risk: Increased tourism can increase the risk of introducing invasive species. The project needs to implement measures to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species.
• Wildlife Interaction Management: Careful management of wildlife interactions is essential to ensure both visitor safety and animal welfare.
• Tourist Education: Educating tourists about responsible behavior around wildlife is crucial for minimizing disturbance and promoting conservation.
• Biodiversity Monitoring: Ongoing monitoring of biodiversity is essential to assess the long-term impacts of ecotourism and adapt management strategies as needed.

Social

• Cultural Commodification Risk: The project needs to be mindful of the potential for cultural commodification and ensure that tourism respects local traditions and values.
• Community Participation and Benefit Sharing: Active community participation and equitable benefit sharing are essential for the social sustainability of ecotourism.
• Displacement Risk: The project needs to avoid displacement of local communities due to tourism development.
• Equitable Tourism Benefits: Ensuring that tourism benefits are distributed equitably among stakeholders is crucial.
• Social Impact Management: Careful management of social impacts is necessary to ensure that ecotourism benefits local communities and does not exacerbate existing social inequalities.

Project Metrics and Links

Metric	Description	Unit	Value
Project Start	Project initiation year	Year	2023
Area	Total project area	Hectares	12,000
Estimated CO2 Removal (10 years)	Carbon sequestration potential over 10 years (through supported conservation efforts)	tCO2e	120,000
Estimated CO2 Removal (20 years)	Carbon sequestration potential over 20 years (through supported conservation efforts)	tCO2e	288,000
Estimated CO2 Removal (30 years)	Carbon sequestration potential over 30 years (through supported conservation efforts)	tCO2e	432,000
Total Estimated CO2 Removal	Total carbon sequestration potential over 30 years (through supported conservation efforts)	tCO2e	840,000

Links:

• Digital Due Diligence:
  Link to Due Diligence Document/Platform

• B3 Green Bonds Information:
  Link to Green Bond Information

• Verra Carbon Credit Registry:
  Link to Carbon Credit Registry

Changelog

• 2024-09-19: Initial project documentation created.

Contributors

• Manuela Souza (LinkedIn Profile)