“Caraguatá: A Resilient Natural Heritage”

Collab: Yanel Mayol founder of Misión Eco Chaco.

The Caraguatá Park located in the city of Resistencia, in the Province of Chaco, Argentina, is one of the most valuable natural areas in the region, recognized both for its biodiversity and its cultural significance. Recently, various interventions carried out within the park have raised concern among residents, environmental organizations, and nature defenders due to their impact on the local ecosystem and the lack of clear public information regarding the ongoing projects.

A green lung for the city:

What many people may not be aware of is that Caraguatá plays a fundamental role in the city:

• It regulates temperature

• It mitigates urban heat

• It protects the water cycle and helps prevent flooding

• It improves air quality

• It serves as a refuge for native flora and fauna

• It sustains the balance of the urban ecosystem

  
  

These functions make the park essential to the population’s quality of life. It is also important to highlight that the park is part of a Ramsar Site, which underscores its international relevance for wetland conservation, and it is home to protected species such as the howler monkey (mono carayá), declared a Provincial Natural Monument in Argentina.

What does it mean that it has been declared a “Ramsar Site” and that the howler monkey is a “Provincial Natural Monument”?

The designation of Caraguatá Park as a Ramsar Site means it is internationally recognized as a wetland of exceptional value for biodiversity, hydrological cycles, and ecological stability, whose conservation is essential and must be managed in a responsible and sustainable manner. Likewise, the designation of the howler monkey (mono carayá) as a Provincial Natural Monument in Chaco Argentina ensures the legal protection of this species and its habitat, restricting any activity that may alter its natural environment. These recognitions highlight the unique environmental significance of Caraguatá and emphasize the shared responsibility to preserve its ecosystems and the life they support as part of Argentina’s natural heritage.

Citizen participation and open assembly:

Aware of its importance, the community held an open assembly (like a environmental hearings) under the slogan “Caraguatá serves,” creating a space for dialogue about the need to designate the park as a natural reserve. During this gathering, residents and organizations emphasized the diversity of ecosystems that make up the humid Chaco region, the need to conserve them, and the importance of strengthening public participation in decisions regarding land use.

An open assembly is a space where people can freely gather to access information, exchange perspectives, and participate in decision-making processes on issues that affect their daily lives. From a human rights perspective, such spaces enable the exercise of the right to express opinions, access information, and take part in public affairs particularly in environmental matters #ForABetterWorld. These assemblies foster collective positions, amplify diverse voices including those of local communities and promote more transparent and participatory approaches to territorial management.

During the assembly, the ancestral knowledge shared by Qom communities in Chaco, Argentina, was also highlighted. These communities have long engaged with the forest, its medicinal plants, and its biodiversity. This relationship reinforces the cultural dimension of the park and its importance as a space where nature and community are deeply interconnected.

Why is this claim particularly relevant today?:

According to the actors involved, recent clearing activities (deforestation) have allegedly taken place within Caraguatá Park, impacting native trees, bird nests, and wildlife shelters. These interventions occur in a context where, for many years, residents and organizations in Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina, have been advocating for the formal recognition of the area as a natural reserve.

In response several legal and administrative actions have been initiated. A formal request was submitted to the Undersecretariat of Environment of the Province of Chaco Argentina seeking intervention in the area under Article 38 of the Provincial Constitution Environmental Law No. 2994-R, and the Escazú Agreement. Additionally, a request for public information was filed before the Municipal Misdemeanor Court, in accordance with Article 41 of the Argentine National Constitution and applicable municipal ordinances.

Furthermore, Civil and Commercial Court No. 21 of Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina, has admitted the environmental amparo action filed by local environmental organizations and community representatives as a matter of law (“de puro derecho”). In Argentina, this designation means that the court recognizes the legitimacy of the petition immediately, allowing the case to proceed without the usual evidentiary and procedural stages. This procedural mechanism expedites the judicial process, enabling a ruling to be issued in the coming days to ensure the protection of constitutional and environmental rights.

The case is directly linked to the need to safeguard an area recognized for its environmental value, particularly due to its status as a wetland of international importance.

In this context, the current claim is not an isolated event but part of a long-standing process of community engagement. For over a decade, residents, organizations, and collectives such as Misión Eco in Chaco, Argentina, have carried out environmental education, biodiversity monitoring, and awareness-raising activities, promoting the conservation of Caraguatá Park and its formal recognition as a natural reserve.

Caraguatá Park represents a natural and cultural heritage that endures. Its preservation is essential not only to protect biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides to Resistencia Chaco Argentina but also to safeguard the memory, knowledge, and relationships that make this territory a living space.

Recent developments highlight that citizen participation, environmental education, and legal mechanisms are fundamental tools for protecting urban natural areas.

Protecting Caraguatá also means sustaining a balance upon which everyday life depends: it means caring for the air we breathe, the water that flows, and the diverse forms of life that inhabit the forest. Ultimately, it is a way of envisioning a future in which nature and community can continue to coexist.