Ten relevant questions for applying biodiversity offsetting in the Pantanal wetland
Abstract In Brazil, biodiversity offsetting operates in an ad hoc manner while biodiversity equivalence has mainly been overlooked by public policies. Despite being mandatory since 1965s Forest Code (Law 4.771), we fail to have a robust offsetting framework. The revision of the forest code in 2012 ( i.e ., Native Vegetation Protection Law—NVPL—Law n° 12,651/2012), maintained the obligation for landowners to set aside a biome‐specific percentage of their native vegetation for preservation. Known as Legal Reserves, these set‐asides are a precondition for compliance with NVPL's regularization procedure called CAR (Rural Environmental Cadaster). Despite enthusiasm about biodiversity offsetting opportunities following the NVPL enactment in 2012, uncertainties around its implementation remains. Here, we formulated 10 questions that discuss and illustrate how offsetting can be applied to maintain wetland integrity, economic fairness and biodiversity conservation in the Pantanal and Upper Paraguay River basin (UPRB). The aim is to stimulate robust public policies and stimulate wetland offsetting research opportunities. We provided examples of implementation opportunities of the NVPL in integrating the floodplain and highland in Pantanal at UPRB, analyze spatial compliance deficits, and illustrate opportunities that require harmonized legislation and policies between Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states in Brazil.
Authors
- Thiago Borges Fernandes Semedo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4379-5993)
- Erich Arnold Fischer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8722-9876)
- Solange Kimie Ikeda Castrillon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1862-4615)
- Morena Mills (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9865-0770)
- Fábio de Oliveira Roque (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-0622)
- Renato Crouzeilles
- Ronaldo Gonçalves Morato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8304-9779)
- Donald P. Eaton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7365-7930)
- Gláucia Helena Fernandes Seixas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6645-9135)
- Rafael Dettogni Guariento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2035-2030)
- João Onofre Pereira Pinto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6547-0607)
- Alessandro Pacheco Nunes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0031-9938)
- Marcelo Matsumoto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2899-6981)
- Mauricio Almeida‐Gomes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7938-354X)
- Olivier Pays (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8268-1804)
- Antônio Conceição Paranhos Filho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9838-5337)
- Walfrido Moraes Tomás (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9395-7415)
- Pierre‐Cyril Renaud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1776-4923)
- Rafael Morais Chiaravalloti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4271-3749)
- Sandra Aparecida Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4812-5825)
- Letícia Couto Garcia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3081-8973)
- Danilo Bandini Ribeiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5343-9979)
- Angélica Guerra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6399-8507)
- Fábio Bolzan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0589-589X)
- Larissa Sayuri Moreira Sugai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6248-291X)
- Reinaldo Lourival (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5993-4447)
- Maurício Stefanes
- André Valle Nunes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9120-0363)
- Elizângela Silva de Brito (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5630-8173)
- Ana Cristyna Reis Lacerda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2505-8589)
- Rafael Loyola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5323-2735)
- Thiago J. Izzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4613-3787)
- Mariza Silva
- Grasiela Edith de Oliveira Porfírio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0837-7489)
- José Sabino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6404-5107)
- Amanda Alves
- Francisco Valente Neto
- José Manuel Ochoa Quintero
Institutions
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR)
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (BR)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US)
- European Union of Medical Specialists (BE)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (US)
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (BR)
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR)
- Cornell University (US)
- San Diego State University (US)
- Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute (CO)
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AU)
- Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (BR)
- Center for Environmental Health (US)
- Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (BR)
- Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (BR)
- Universidade Vale do Rio Doce (BR)
- International Institute for Sustainability Australia (AU)
- Instituto Sócioambiental (BR)
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (BR)
- International Institute for Sustainability (BR)
- Secretaria Municipal do Verde e do Meio Ambiente (BR)
- University College London (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Université d'Angers (FR)
- Universidade Federal de Goiás (BR)
- James Cook University (AU)
- Nelson Mandela University (ZA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Conservation Science and Practice
- Published
- 2025-02-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13274
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.84
Funders
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul
- National Cancer Institute