[{"bbox": [119, 153, 1110, 286], "category": "Text", "text": "The Paraguayan Chaco, or Western Paraguay, making up little more than half of the national territory, is an alluvial plain with a semi-arid to sub-humid climate, subdivided into dry and wet zones. The region covers three departments — President Hayes, Boquerón and Alto Paraguay — and includes mainly rural populations with a few small towns. The regional economy is driven by the use of land for agriculture (2.7%) and extensive cattle production (60%). Both activities have been growing rapidly."}, {"bbox": [119, 297, 1110, 538], "category": "Text", "text": "In Eastern Paraguay, the single largest land use is pasture (savannah) with a territory once covered by more than 9 million hectares of Atlantic Forest. Agriculture and savannas are the second and third largest land uses. About 13% of Eastern Paraguay was covered by forest in 2009 while other key ecosystems, including water bodies and protected areas, covered 32.3%. The Alto Paraná forest in the Eastern region is part of the Atlantic Forest, one of the world's most threatened forest ecosystems and which extends across Eastern Paraguay, Brazil and north-eastern Argentina. The Cerrado in the northern part of Eastern Paraguay together with the Pampas in the South and the Chaco west of Paraguay River are also key natural habitats for biodiversity. These key ecoregions are shared with neighbouring countries and are a continuum of ecological zones beyond national jurisdictions."}, {"bbox": [119, 548, 1110, 812], "category": "Text", "text": "Water, forests and neighbouring ecosystems are key in Paraguay. They are source of food, energy, water, employment, livelihoods and biodiversity. Forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services, which benefit not only the local communities but the economic development of the whole Paraguayan society. The provision of water services is among the most vital for economic development in Paraguay. Forests and other Paraguayan ecosystems, such as grasslands (or savannahs) influence stream discharge, precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration, groundwater recharge, runoff and water discharge to streams, which are main components of the hydrological cycle. Both forest and grasslands catchment ecosystems provide water for domestic, agricultural, industrial and ecological needs in both upstream and downstream ecoregions in the country. The country is located strategically at one of the largest watersheds in South America, Río de la Plata watershed (Cuenca del Rio de la Plata)."}, {"bbox": [119, 826, 1110, 1093], "category": "Text", "text": "Paraguay has one of the highest rates of forest loss in the world: between 2000 and 2020 alone, the country lost 6.9 million ha of native forests. According to the 2010 biodiversity assessment, 94% of the Atlantic Forest has disappeared and now the pressure has moved to the Western (Chaco) region, where 240,000 hectares of forest are removed every year in favor of agriculture to feed livestock. The Zero Deforestation Law in 2004 prohibited forest clearing in Eastern Paraguay and reduced the rate of Atlantic Forest deforestation. Yet, deforestation continued almost uncontrolled until 2018, especially in the proximity of protected areas. Change of land use for agriculture and livestock production continued to be the main driver of deforestation. Extraction of firewood is also a driver of forest degradation because of high demand from households, industry and agriculture. Wild forest fires, land invasions and illegal plantations (marijuana) are adding to the pressures. This results in a highly fragmented forest ecosystem."}, {"bbox": [119, 1103, 1110, 1503], "category": "Text", "text": "Electricity generation in Paraguay is dominated by the colossal binational hydropower projects of Itaipú (Brazil-Paraguay, 7000 MW for Paraguay and Brazil each) and Yacyretá (Argentina-Paraguay, 1600 MW each), which provide almost 100% of the country's electricity and generate a large electric surplus for export to the two neighbouring countries. The Itaipú dam is the second largest hydroelectric facility generator of renewable energy in the world. Paraguay consumes around 10% of its share of Itaipú production and around 5% of its share of Yacyretá's production, exporting the rest to Brazil and Argentina correspondingly. For the past two years, the Paraná river has been experiencing its lowest water levels in 77 years. Consequently, energy production by Itaipu has dropped 28% due to low water volume⁹. Diversification and sustainable use of economic resources are needed to reduce the vulnerability and high dependence of growth on land and water. Paraguay's development depends on the sustainable development of its natural capital assets: land for agricultural and livestock and water for hydro-energy production. A green economy model requires measures to ensure sustainable water systems: decarbonised agricultural supply chains, deforestation-free commodities, restoration, reforestation and conservation strategies to ensure sustainable key water ecosystems (in the western region: brakish lagoons; in the eastern region: Ypacarai lake, Ypoa lake, White laggon, wetlands of Tebicuary and Aquidaban Rivers; Ñeembucu wetlands), conservation, attention to integrated watershed"}, {"bbox": [109, 1564, 1120, 1615], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ Paraguay’s 2019 Climate Status. Section “The lowest hydroelectric energy generation in 25 years” http://dncc.mades.gov.py/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Estudio-del-Clima-Paraguay-2019.pdf"}, {"bbox": [1013, 1681, 1121, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 6 of 27"}]