The Pilcomayo river basin supports a population of 1.5 million and covers 290,000km² in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.
The river, which is thought to have one of the largest sediment loads in the world, is 1,000km long with a drop of over 3,000m.
The European Union has funded a 16 million euro master plan aimed at improving the inhabitants’ living conditions and the environment in the catchment. It is the first integrated, multi-disciplinary study of the basin and Halcrow is part of a consortium responsible for environmental and socio-economic studies of the conditions and processes.
Studies included:
- Studies of the terrestrial ecosystem, ichthyology, anthropology, environmental passives, and water quality
- Socio-economical studies
- Geological, hydro-geological, hydrological, geomorphological and soil studies
- Institutional and legal aspects