Protecting the world's top wetlands

In support of the WWF Landscape Finance Lab, this project focus on two different Landscapes, the Chaco-Pantanal in Paraguay and the Kafue Flats in Zambia. Both are critically important landscapes due to their high biodiversity value and ecosystem services. Covering an area of 210,000 km2 across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, the Chaco-Pantanal is considered the world’s largest wetland. This fragile landscape also has the greatest concentration of wildlife in South America, providing habitat to the jaguar, the Hyacinth macaw, the Giant River Otter and the Marsh deer, among others. Although large parts remain untouched or protected, it is threatened by unsustainable farming, illegal mining, hydroelectric power plants and unregulated tourism, among others. The Kafue Flats in Zambia are part of the Zambezi River basin, covering around 650,000 ha. This landscape supports large numbers of grazing mammals, including Zebras, Buffalos and predators such as Cheetahs and Wild dogs. The Flats also provide 50% of the Zambia's hydroelectricity and support the livelihoods of more than 900,000 people. However, the area is threatened by dam projects, poaching, invasive species and other pressures. ​ In response to this, Natural Strategies supports the WWF Landscape Finance Lab in the development of a investment strategy for sustainable landscape programmes in both areas. In doing so, Natural Strategies works to build capacity on sustainable landscape finance, in collaboration with WWF Paraguay and WWF Zambia; and helps develop work plans to engage communities, civil society and businesses. ​ Our aim is to help preserve globally important wetlands that sustain wildlife, communities and natural resources alike.