From Agência Brasil · · 1m 10s
Plateau Loses 6.7M Hectares of Vegetation
Brazil's Pantanal plateau lost 6.7 million hectares of vegetation from 1987 to 2025, shrinking flooded areas by 53%.
In brief
Brazil's Pantanal plateau lost 6.7 million hectares of vegetation from 1987 to 2025, shrinking flooded areas by 53%. Brazil's Pantanal plateau lost 6.7 million hectares of vegetation from 1987 to 2025, reducing flooded areas by 53%. Originally reported by Agência Brasil.
Plateau Vegetation Loss
The Upper Paraguay Basin plateau lost 6.7 million hectares of native vegetation from 1987 to 2025.
Water Surface Reduction
The basin's water surface area decreased by 2.89 million hectares from 1985 to 2025.
Flooded Area Decline
The Pantanal's average flooded area shrank by 53% over four decades, from 5.99 million to 2.79 million hectares.
Flood Duration Shift
Flooded areas for six months or more dropped from 3.8 million hectares in 1988 to 820,000 hectares in 2025.
Rainfall Decline
Rainfall was below average for seven consecutive years from 2019 to 2025, with 1,050 millimeters in 2024.
Vegetation Conversion
Natural areas covered 85% of the basin in 1985, dropping to 60% by 2025 with 6.9 million hectares of pasture expansion.
Fire Impact
Fire affected 61% of the Pantanal's territory at least once from 1985 to 2025, equivalent to 9 million hectares.
What it means
Brazil's Pantanal plateau lost 6.7 million hectares of vegetation from 1987 to 2025, reducing flooded areas by 53%.
