Brazilian artists are joining nonprofit sector’s in order to call for wetlands to be included in the COP30 agenda, that event will happen in Belém, Pará, next month. The mobilization is the result of a partnership between SOS Pantanal, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Chalana Esperança, and Documenta Pantanal, it seeks to raise public awareness about the urgency of including biomes such as the Pantanal in global climate discussions.
The campaign video highlights the importance of wetlands in climate protection. Although they occupy only 6% of the Earth’s surface, these ecosystems store more carbon than all the world’s forest. In addition to being powerful carbon stores, which is essential for the fight against climate collapse, wetlands are important allies against extreme events such as floods, high waters, and prolonged droughts.
Despite their significant importance, wetlands are disappearing up to three times faster than forests: around the world, they are being drained, burned, and decimated by unsustainable activities, releasing massive carbon and further exacerbating global warming.
Conserving and restoring these tropical wetlands could prevent the emission of up to 800 million tons of CO₂ per year, which is equivalent to 1.5% of global emissions. That is the main request: countries which signed the Paris Agreement prioritize the protection of wetlands in their climate agendas and in their efforts, so that they can combat the climate crisis.
The message gets stronger with performances by artists such as Lenine, Ney Matogrosso, Gabriel Sater, Maria Bethânia, DJ Eric Terena from Mato Grosso do Sul, Carlos Rennó, Cristiana Oliveira, Rafa Kalimann, Malu Rodrigues, and Mônica Guimarães. The text is also narrated and written by the Chief country representative and Lead advocate of EJF in Brazil, Luciana Leite and our communications director, Gustavo Figueirôa.
