UNU Update: New RTP in Mato Grosso wetlands

	UNU Update
	The newsletter of United Nations University and its network of research and training centres and programmes
		Issue 14: February 2002

UNU moving ahead with plans
for wetlands research initiative

The Pantanal in Mato Grosso state is 160,000
sq. km of lakes, lagoons, rivers and forest.

UN University is making progress with efforts to establish a new research facility in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso to study integrated land management of fragile wetland ecosystems.

Initially, the new institute will focus on the Pantanal, a vast wetland region located on the basin of the upper reaches of the Paraguay River between Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. Recently included on UNESCO's World Heritage list, the Pantanal is the world's greatest undivided flood plain – a patchwork of ecosystems incorporating lakes, lagoons, rivers, forest and islands covering about 160,000 square kilometres. In the rainy season, almost the entire area is flooded.

Early last year, UNU Rector Hans van Ginkel signed a memorandum of understanding with the Governor of Mato Grosso, Dante Oliveira, and the Rector of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Prof. Paulo Speller, to jointly undertake a feasibility study on the need for a research training centre or programme on the Pantanal.

Reporting to the recent annual meeting of the UNU Council in Tokyo, the study team said that the Pantanal was a priority in the development programmes of the Brazilian government and international organizations including the World Bank, UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the InterAmerican Bank.

However, the report recommended putting off establishment of the proposed Research and Training Centre (RTC) and instead moving ahead with a Research and Training Programme (RTP) whose work could involve state and federal governments, local and regional universities and several other independent research organizations with expertise in the area.

In preparation for the the opening of the new RTP, UFMT officials have obtained an area on a protected nature reserve for long-term ecological studies, secured startup funds from the Mato Grosso government and begun formulating a project for integrated studies of ecological and social processes to support conservation.

During an upcoming visit to Brazil, the Director of UNU Institute of Advanced Studies, Dr. Zakri Hamid, will discuss the Pantanal initiative with federal government officials, including the Minister of Science and Technology and the Minister of Education. The UNU Council, meanwhile, endorsed the proposal to develop the Pantanal programme and authorised Prof. van Ginkel to continue discussions with Brazilian authorities.

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