In the northeast of the province of Santa Fe, one of the most important wetlands in Argentina is located. It is the most biodiverse and is key due to its nature.
Jaaukanigás covers 492,000 hectares from the shores of the Paraná River, also encompassing areas of Chaco and Corrientes.
Its name, which in the Abipón language means “people of the water,” reflects the ancestral connection of indigenous peoples with this ecosystem.
Jaaukanigás, the wetland paradise of biodiversity seeking protection
Jaaukanigás, Santa Fe. (Photo: Aves Argentinas).[/caption>
Jaaukanigás harbors an impressive biological diversity, with over 800 plant species and 767 vertebrate species, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
Among the endangered species that inhabit the area, the white-breasted capuchin, the maned wolf, the marsh deer, and the river otter stand out.
What are the conservation challenges and initiatives to protect it
In 2001, Jaaukanigás was declared a Ramsar Site, an international recognition highlighting its ecological importance and its role in water conservation. However, despite this status, many of its areas still lack effective protection.
“It is an internationally important wetland, it has the recognition of the Ramsar Convention, the world’s first environmental treaty, which occurred because 50% of wetlands had been lost,” detailed Alejandro Giraudo, a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and researcher at CONICET, to Ámbito newspaper.
With the aim of strengthening the conservation of Jaaukanigás, in 2022, a letter of intent was signed between the National Parks Administration, the government of the province of Santa Fe, and Aves Argentinas for the creation of the Jaaukanigás Comprehensive Management Area.
This agreement seeks to coordinate efforts for the conservation of wetlands of great value, carry out surveys in the area and develop a zoning that determines conservation categories of national and provincial jurisdiction.
