The "Pantanal +10" project, conceived by photographer José Medeiros, aims to document the transformations of the Pantanal over the course of a decade (2020-2030). The project addresses critical issues such as the environmental impacts of anthropogenic actions and the climate changes that have affected the biome. These human actions have direct consequences for biodiversity and the lives of Pantanal people, awakening a sense of urgency for environmental conservation.
José Medeiros, a photographer and documentarian who has been recording the Pantanal for 30 years, undertook the project as a response to the profound changes he observed in the region. During the fires of 2020, Medeiros not only recorded the events, but also actively participated in the efforts to fight the flames and support other professionals in the field.
With a focus on photographic and audiovisual recording, the PANTANAL+10 project will, at the end of a decade, become a memory of natural heritage, a historical record that shows future generations the importance of the natural environment and our cultural activities, so that we remember who we are, what we do, where we came from and, consequently, what we will be like.
In this way, the real stories and emotional memories of the Pantanal people are preserved, reflecting a biome in constant ecological and cultural transformation.
The initiative invites society to question the desirable future for the Pantanal and the need for a sustainable approach to interactions with the environment.
The project includes the production of books, films and exhibitions, and is divided into four temporal phases. It began with "Heaven and Hell in Wetlands" (2020-2022), which details the fires of 2020. In its second phase, "Waters of the Pantanal" (2023-2025), it focuses on the Pantanal's water dynamics, to illustrate how human activities affect the waters and riverside communities. The third phase (2026 - 2028) aims to record the Origins of the Pantanal and the Pantanal people. In the fourth phase (2029-2030), the diversity of the Pantanal and its peculiarities in border territories.
In the end, it is hoped to compile all the material into a collection of photographic books and documentary films showing the conditions and transformations experienced by the Pantanal people and the largest floodplain on the planet.
CAMALOTE | Project has a new phase with the highlight "Águas do Pantanal"
With the webseries "Águas do Pantanal", launched this year on social media, Medeiros debuts a new phase of the Pantanal +10 project, which began in 2020.
MTTV | Photo reporter records images showing changes in the Pantanal in the last 10 years
Flood, Fire and Drought. An interview with José Medeiros that shows his concern for the future of the biome.
ECCO | José Medeiros, the photojournalist who will document the Pantanal for a decade
In an interview with ((o))eco, a photojournalist from Mato Grosso talks about the initiative to portray the biome for 10 years, to accompany the changes caused by the 2020 fires.
Globo News | Fire in the Pantanal is the worst ever recorded by INPE
Statement from José Medeiros regarding the frontline efforts to combat the fires in the Pantanal.
Tab Uol | The Last Cowboys
The water dictates and commands in the Pantanal. During the flood, it transforms into a 'sertanejo' sea, mirroring the sky and isolating both animals and humans on islands.
Citizen Culture | Pantanal: heaven and hell in wetlands
"The fire seems to toy with us," describes photographer José Medeiros about the attempts to extinguish the wildfires.