Fighting climate change by building capacity and transferring knowledge on the ancient landfills of the Guató indigenous people, Pantanal

For over 4,000 years, the Guató people have built aterros—raised mounds to withstand seasonal floods in the Pantanal. Today, these ancestral structures and the knowledge behind them are under threat from worsening droughts, floods, and wildfires. The project will document and pass down traditional earthwork techniques, while adapting them for climate resilience. The adaptation and documentation measures will include drone mapping,  the construction of protective water-filled moats around five selected earthworks to mitigate erosion and fire risks, including the construction of bridges, cultural workshops, and replanting native palms—linking heritage with sustainable land use for the future.