A new four-lane highway is being built in the Brazilian city of Belém to serve as a route to the COP30 climate summit. It cuts through tens of thousands of hectares of protected Amazon rainforest. Conservationists and local residents are outraged by the environmental impact of the road construction.
The BBC writes about this.
The highway is being built to ease traffic into the city, which will host more than 50,000 people for a climate conference in November 2025. The state government is touting its “sustainable” potential.
The Amazon plays a vital role in the world, absorbing carbon and providing biodiversity. Conservationists say deforestation goes against the very purpose of the climate summit.
Claudio Verequete lives about 200 meters from the new road. He used to make a living by picking acai berries from trees that were once on the construction site.
"Everything is destroyed. Our harvest has already decreased. We no longer have enough income to feed our family," he said.
He added that he has not received any compensation from the state government. He is concerned that the construction of this road will lead to more deforestation in the future, as the area will be opened up for business. The community of Claudio Verequete is not going to be connected to the road.
Meanwhile, scientists are concerned that this will lead to ecosystem fragmentation and disrupt wildlife movement.
Instead, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says the COP30 climate summit will provide an opportunity to focus on the needs of the Amazon, showcase the forest to the world, and demonstrate what the federal government has done to protect it.
The infrastructure secretary for the state of Pará, Adler Silveira, called it a “sustainable highway” and “an important intervention in mobility”. He said it would include wildlife crossings, bike lanes and solar-powered lighting.
- One study published in 2023 found that more than a third of the Amazon rainforest is being degraded by humans.
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