The latest free exhibition to land at London’s Science Museum takes you on a striking visual journey. Photographed by Lalo de Almeida and Luciano Candisani, over 60 powerful images on display at Water Pantanal Fire capture the impact of climate change on the Pantanal, a natural paradise at unprecedented risk of disappearing.
You’ll discover the rich and unique biodiversity of this South American wetland, a UNESCO-recognised Natural World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve that’s home to jaguars, howler monkeys, caimans, marsh deer, and many species of fish and birds.
In contrasting photographs, you’ll witness how deforestation, drought, and wildfires have led to dramatic changes in the wetland, parts of the Pantanal now dried out and barren.
One of the catastrophic events captured in the exhibition: a record-breaking wildfire that burned 26% of the Pantanal in 2020, killing 17 million vertebrates. Another large wildfire ravaged the area in 2024.
The photographs, taken over a span of 17 years, document the alarming increase in the frequency of wildfires and droughts across the wetland, and the inability of this fragile ecosystem to keep up with the acceleration of climate change – a breathtaking, sobering exhibition well worth the visit.
Water Pantanal Fire is on display at the Science Museum until May 31 and is free to attend.