• La Plata River Basin
• ©Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/
• List of countries in basin: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
• Basin size: 3 million square kilometers
• Average population density: 33 people per square kilometers
• Annual flow of river: 16,725 cubic meters per second
• Annual flow of river: 16,725 cubic meters per second
• Main uses: Common crops in the La Plata Basin are maize, soybeans, and wheat. These and fisheries are important sources of economic activity. Industrial use is concentrated mostly along the Paran´ River System. The La Plata Basin is also home of the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant, the world’s largest in terms of energy production. The planned Hidrovia waterway project will change the basin significantly. The project’s goals include expanding navigation through dredging and channeling, promoting regional development by reducing transportation costs and improving links with commercial centers, and providing an outlet to the sea for Bolivia and Paraguay. However, the project is controversial, especially its potential impact on the Pantanal, one of the world’s largest wetlands, located in the Upper Paraguay River Basin. As a result, the project’s fate is uncertain.