No major geographical surveys of the Chambira Basin were mounted during the 19th century heyday of exploration, and as a result it remained largely uncharted until the discovery of hydrocarbons in the region in the 1970s.
With the subsequent mobilization of indigenous peoples and government-backed neo-liberal legislation, the lands of the Chambira Basin have now been fully mapped.
The plant produces edible fruit consumed by humans and animals alike, and the leaves can be used as fiber for tying rope.
In the river itself is a plethora of different freshwater species, not limited to but including turtles, fish, caimans, stingrays, and electric eels.
[4] Although there are methods of cleaning oil out of a water system, the buildup of heavy metals and other toxins in the Chambira are of concern given the vast number of spills.
The most recent spill occurred near a humedal, or a part of the wetland rainforest that remains partially flooded, which poses risks for the fish-spawning grounds located there.
With so much depending on the stable balance of the Chambira River's ecosystem, manmade disasters such as oil spills are of concern for Pluspetrol, the indigenous populations, as well as the Peruvian government.