SAVING MAR CHIQUITA WETLANDS

Covering 2.5 million acres, the Mar Chiquita lake and associated wetlands and grasslands are the largest saline wetland system in South America and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Argentina. More than 40,000 people live in the area.

This project supports the long-term goal of attaining formal protection of the wetland system through the creation of Ansenuza National Park and through the effective management of both the National Park and a Provincial Multiple Use Reserve.

The project will consolidate progress toward this long-term process through several objectives: 1) acquiring at least 13,000 acres; 2) finalizing the National Park declaration process; 3) obtaining baseline information about neotropical migratory bird populations; 4) developing management guidelines; 5) setting up governance arrangements for the effective implementation of the national and provincial parks; 6) building awareness and capacity among community members; and 7) strengthening local economies through alternative, sustainable activities.