Monitoring Environmental Degradation and Spatial Changes in Vegetation and Water Resources in the Brazilian Pantanal

Sérvio Túlio Pereira Justino, Rafael Barroca Silva, Iraê Amaral Guerrini, Richardson Barbosa Gomes da Silva and Danilo Simões ()
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Sérvio Túlio Pereira Justino: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil
Rafael Barroca Silva: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil
Iraê Amaral Guerrini: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil
Richardson Barbosa Gomes da Silva: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil
Danilo Simões: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-23

Abstract: Diagnosing climate variability and environmental change in floodable regions is essential for understanding and mitigating impacts on natural ecosystems. Our objective was to characterize environmental degradation in the Brazilian Pantanal by identifying changes in vegetation and water cover over a 30-year period using remote sensing techniques. We evaluated surface physical–hydric parameters, including Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) maps, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), and precipitation data. There was a decrease in the area of water bodies (−9.9%), wetlands (−5.7%), and forest formation (−3.0%), accompanied by an increase in the area of pastureland (7.4%). The NDVI showed significant changes in vegetation cover (−0.69 to 0.81), while the MNDWI showed a decrease in water surface areas (−0.73 to 0.93) and the NDMI showed a continuous decrease in vegetation moisture (−0.53 to 1). Precipitation also decreased over the years, reaching a minimum of 595 mm. Vegetation indices and land use maps revealed significant changes in vegetation and loss of water bodies in the Pantanal, reinforcing the need for sustainable management, recovery of degraded areas, and promotion of ecotourism to balance environmental conservation and local development.

Keywords: wetlands; water bodies; geoprocessing; climate variability; flying rivers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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