Delta del Paraná in Argentina designated as a new Ramsar Site

Argentina has designated an exceptional new Ramsar Site covering more than 240,000 hectares.

Delta del Paraná (Site no. 2255), located in the Santa Fe and Entre Ríos Provinces, comprises fluvial wetlands associated with the middle and lower sections of the Paraná River floodplain, and includes the territories of two National Parks: “Predelta” and “Islas de Santa Fe”.

The extensive floodplain wetlands play an important role in hydrological and biogeochemical regulation, and constitute an important biogeographical corridor in which tropical, subtropical, and temperate species meet. They provide food, shelter, and breeding sites for many species of fish, some of which are migratory, and several species of birds, reptiles, and mammals facing some degree of threat. Some outstanding species are: the marsh seedeater (Sporophila palustris), categorized as endangered in the IUCN Red List, and the rufous-rumped seedeater (S. hypochroma), both included in Appendix I of CMS; and the jabiru (Jabiru mycteria), the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris), Geoffroy’s cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), and the neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis), all of which are included in Appendix I of CITES.

The Site provides essential support to the livelihoods of the local communities. The river and smaller channels are used as commercial shipping routes and supply water for domestic and agricultural use, while the wetlands and their natural resources sustain tourism and recreational activities. Moreover, the ancient civilizations which occupied the floodplain and the Parana delta over two thousand years ago left a wealth of archaeological sites.