A recent report by the **Humedales/Wetlands International Foundation** revealed that the **Paraná Delta** —one of the ecosystems with [the highest biodiversity in Argentina](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/el-juicio-por-los-incendios-en-el-delta-del-parana-ya-tiene-fecha/)— **already has 8,944 kilometers of embankments** built on its islands and channels.
The figure is just slightly higher than the 8,851 kilometers of the main body of the **Great Wall of China**, giving an idea of the **silent and fragmented transformation** of this amphibious environment.
## Impact: modified drainage and loss of ecological connectivity
The study, titled *“Endicadas areas, embankments, and closed developments in the Paraná Delta. Update 2025”*, points out that:
– **694 embankments** were identified
– The affected surface area amounts to **2,582 km²**, representing **14.04% of the Delta**
– In **Buenos Aires**, the value rises to **28.7%**
“Embankments dry out areas that should be amphibious, modify drainage patterns, and reduce the natural capacity of wetlands to regulate floods and preserve biodiversity,” warn from [the Foundation](https://lac.wetlands.org/).
Experts also note that **clandestine works and urbanizations alter landscape connectivity**, hindering species movement and water flow between environments.
## Livestock and urbanization: two dynamics on the Delta
The expansion of embankments has two main origins:
– In the **islands of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe**, it is linked to **intensive livestock production** that requires **the drying of lagoons and streams**
– In the **Buenos Aires Delta**, the issue has grown due to the creation of **gated communities** and private developments, especially since the pandemic.
“Starting in 2020, a ‘third wave’ of gated urbanization was observed, and today we speak of a ‘fourth wave’ marked by young people who choose to live close to nature without [considering the environmental impact](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/investigacion-sobre-pesca-ilegal-en-esquel-y-su-impacto-ambiental-fiscalia-y-autoridades-coordinan-acciones/),” the report states.
## Wetlands as natural sponges at risk
Biologist **Nadia Boscarol** recalled that wetlands perform key functions for riverside cities: “They absorb excess water, regulate flooding, and offer habitat to dozens of species. When they are altered, this natural sponge collapses.”
In fact, the report links the **recent floods in cities like Vera and Bahía Blanca** to the functional loss of the deltaic ecosystem. The monitoring also detected a **4.9% increase in the altered area**, confirming an upward trend.
## Absent territorial mapping and planning
The survey covered **34,618 km²**, of which **56% corresponds to the Paraná Delta** and the rest to Buenos Aires basins. There, not only the advance of works is observed but also the **absence of effective policies**, even the traditional human presence such as **island fishermen**.
The Foundation also funded an investigation to “map the absence,” a way to identify institutional and community gaps that have facilitated this transformation.
*Cover photo: Humedales/Wetlands International Foundation*
