Safeguarding Overlooked Ecosystems: Protect, Manage and Restore Grasslands and Savannahs in Argentina

The Pampas represent ~60% of the grassland area in Argentina, with iconic mammals like the Pampas deer and more than 26 species of birds threatened with extinction. Only 1.1% is protected and over 75% has already been converted to intensive agricultural use. With land use change unfolding rapidly, lack of protected areas is one of the biggest challenges for biodiversity conservation. The project will implement interventions that follow the three key pillars: protect, manage and restore. They are strongly interconnected, as many of the protected areas in the project regions allow a sustainable use of natural resources, and restoration will be part of sustainable management. They will be accompanied by policy and advocacy work as well as scientific research. Together these approaches will promote protected, restored, and sustainably managed grassland and savannah ecosystems within productive landscapes and increase their recognition as key ecosystems in political agendas (outcome). By focusing on several leverage points (farm level interventions, knowledge sharing with a large group of stakeholders as well as national and international policy), the project will increase its impact. Expected results: 29,000 additional hectares of savanna and grassland ecosystems under (improved) protection, sustainable management or in the process of restoration within the intervention area.