Human‐Induced Changes in South American River Sediment Fluxes From 1984 to 2019

Abstract

AbstractRiver sediment fluxes have been impacted in South America (SA), one of the continents with the highest erosion and sediment transport rates globally. However, the magnitude and spatio‐temporal distribution of the main drivers of changes have been poorly identified and explored. Here, we performed simulations using a hydrological‐hydrodynamic‐sediment model to comprehensively estimate the spatial and temporal sediment changes and trends in SA from 1984 to 2019. We found that 51% of the main SA rivers experienced significant changes in simulated sediment transport (QST) over this period, with 36% due to Amazon deforestation and river damming and 15% due to precipitation changes. We also estimated a 10% reduction in the average sediment delivery to the oceans. Deforestation was responsible for QST changes higher than 80% in some Amazon sites, and hydropower expansion led to a greater reduction of sediment flows (80%–100%) in the Tocantins, Uruguay, Upper Paraná, lower São Francisco, Desaguadero, and Negro rivers. In addition, our results suggest that reservoirs built in the Amazon region in the 2011–2019 period are also affecting sediment transport. Our modeling outputs provide unprecedented information about the status of river sediment dynamics in SA, and a template to develop evidence‐based strategies and transboundary policies related to continental‐wide sediment dynamics and the conservation and restoration of ecosystems.