26 images Created 26 Sep 2021
People of the River
This photo essay aims to capture the relationship between the members of a traditional river community of Barra do São Lorenço and the natural world in Pantanal, the largest tropical wetlands in the world.
Pantanal, on the border between Brazil and Bolivia, is the largest tropical wetland in the world. It covers 77,000 sq miles, roughly one third of the size of France. The region is one of the most bio-diverse areas on the planet, with around 475 species of birds, 350 species of fish, 135 species of mammals, and around 80 reptile species.
Pantanal relies on a delicate balance of seasonal flooding and clean water flowing through the marshes. Climate change and an increasingly volatile weather presents an existential threat to the wetlands. In 2020, one third of the Pantanal vegetation burned in massive fires, causing devastating loss of wildlife and damaging the livelihood of traditional local communities.
Pantanal is inhabited by ‘Ribeirinhos’, People of the River. They are the descendents of local indifenious people, Brazilian settlers and poor residents of local municipalities who settled on the river banks, among the marshes.
Barra do São Lorenço is one of the more remote villages in Pantanal. It takes local residents up to 30 hours down the river on a small cattle boat to get to the nearest city of Corumba.
Life in Barra is precarious and unpredictable. Residents of the village eke out a living on a narrow strip of higher land (20-100 meters) between the river and the marshes. The river bank in the village constantly erodes due to waves caused by the wealthy fishermen’s speed boats. The river has already taken 2-3 meters of the dry land in the last 2-3 years. The water levels go up and down several meters, depending on the season.
Residents' livelihood depends on the sale of fishing bait, mainly small crab (caranguejo) to the tourist fishermen who arrive on large boats and then fish the river in small speed boats. The sale of fish to the passing tourists is another, much smaller source of income.
In the last decades several private nature reserves and a national park have been created in the area surrounding the village. Local, traditional fishermen have been forbidden entry into these areas. It dramatically limited fishing and wood collection opportunities for the local population.
Pantanal’s ribeirinhos live immersed in nature. The river and marshes provide them with the type of livelihood that used to be more common on our planet but now it is limited to select, remote areas.
Pantanal, on the border between Brazil and Bolivia, is the largest tropical wetland in the world. It covers 77,000 sq miles, roughly one third of the size of France. The region is one of the most bio-diverse areas on the planet, with around 475 species of birds, 350 species of fish, 135 species of mammals, and around 80 reptile species.
Pantanal relies on a delicate balance of seasonal flooding and clean water flowing through the marshes. Climate change and an increasingly volatile weather presents an existential threat to the wetlands. In 2020, one third of the Pantanal vegetation burned in massive fires, causing devastating loss of wildlife and damaging the livelihood of traditional local communities.
Pantanal is inhabited by ‘Ribeirinhos’, People of the River. They are the descendents of local indifenious people, Brazilian settlers and poor residents of local municipalities who settled on the river banks, among the marshes.
Barra do São Lorenço is one of the more remote villages in Pantanal. It takes local residents up to 30 hours down the river on a small cattle boat to get to the nearest city of Corumba.
Life in Barra is precarious and unpredictable. Residents of the village eke out a living on a narrow strip of higher land (20-100 meters) between the river and the marshes. The river bank in the village constantly erodes due to waves caused by the wealthy fishermen’s speed boats. The river has already taken 2-3 meters of the dry land in the last 2-3 years. The water levels go up and down several meters, depending on the season.
Residents' livelihood depends on the sale of fishing bait, mainly small crab (caranguejo) to the tourist fishermen who arrive on large boats and then fish the river in small speed boats. The sale of fish to the passing tourists is another, much smaller source of income.
In the last decades several private nature reserves and a national park have been created in the area surrounding the village. Local, traditional fishermen have been forbidden entry into these areas. It dramatically limited fishing and wood collection opportunities for the local population.
Pantanal’s ribeirinhos live immersed in nature. The river and marshes provide them with the type of livelihood that used to be more common on our planet but now it is limited to select, remote areas.
