President Lula da Silva has accepted "A Manifesto from the Species of the Pantanal", a landmark civil society call for urgent action to protect the world's largest tropical wetland. The manifesto was presented at CMS COP15 in Campo Grande by Luciana Leite, Chief Representative of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in Brazil, who also met with First Lady Rosângela Lula da Silva.

COP15, taking place just kilometres from the Pantanal, has united governments, scientists and civil society around protecting migratory species and their habitats. Key agenda items include international guidelines for biodiversity-friendly infrastructure and new protections for at-risk species.

The Pantanal is under mounting pressure from multiple, interconnected threats: disruption of natural water flows, rapid habitat fragmentation from infrastructure and land use change, and intensifying climate extremes, including prolonged droughts, heatwaves and wildfires. Between 1985 and 2023, nearly 59% of the Pantanal burned at least once. The manifesto sets out urgent priorities to end this: a dedicated Pantanal Law, protection for Indigenous peoples and traditional communities, expansion of protected areas and ecological corridors, and national policies that align conservation with sustainable development.

Large-scale infrastructure projects, including waterways and road expansion, risk altering hydrological systems, fragmenting habitats and severing migratory routes. With the Pantanal emerging as a critical test case for turning COP15's global guidelines on biodiversity-friendly infrastructure into practice, the stakes could not be higher, says EJF.

Luciana Leite, Chief Representative of EJF in Brazil, said: "We are deeply grateful to President Lula for meeting with us and hearing the voices of civil society and the species of the Pantanal. This is a moment for leadership. The burning Pantanal is a global emergency, and we urge the President to champion the protections this irreplaceable biome urgently needs. Brazil has the opportunity, and the responsibility, to lead."

Steve Trent, CEO and Founder of EJF, said: "President Lula's willingness to engage directly with civil society on the Pantanal sends an important signal, and we thank him for it. Now we need that engagement to translate into action. That means a strong Pantanal Law, robust safeguards on infrastructure development, and international action to protect this biome. The Pantanal sustains biodiversity, climate stability and millions of lives. The world is watching, and the moment to act is now."

ENDS

Notes to editors

The proposed new species listings under the Convention on Migratory Species include the potential listing of the giant otter under both Appendix I and II of the Convention.

Photo credit: Ricardo Stuckert

About EJF

Our work to secure environmental justice aims to protect our global climate, ocean, forests, wetlands, wildlife and defend the fundamental human right to a secure natural environment, recognising that all other rights are contingent on this. EJF works internationally to inform policy and drive systemic, durable reforms to protect our environment and defend human rights. We investigate and expose abuses and support environmental defenders, Indigenous peoples, communities, and independent journalists on the frontlines of environmental injustice. Our campaigns aim to secure peaceful, equitable and sustainable futures. Our investigators, researchers, filmmakers, and campaigners work with grassroots partners and environmental defenders across the globe. For more information or to organise an interview with one of our team, please contact media@ejfoundation.org.