- Trees in the Amazon rainforest are being cut down to build a road for the U.N. COP30 climate summit. The highway aims to ease traffic for over 50,000 attendees, including world leaders.
- Conservationists and locals fear the road will fragment ecosystems, disrupt wildlife migration and increase deforestation, while supporters argue it will boost the economy in a neglected region.
- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says the climate conference this highway is being built for will provide an opportunity to showcase the rainforest’s needs to the world.
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Trees in the Amazon rainforest are being cut down to construct a new road for an upcoming United Nations climate change conference. The project aims to ease traffic congestion as Brazil prepares to host more than 50,000 attendees, including world leaders, in the city of Belém for the annual COP30 summit in November.
What impact will the road have on the rainforest?
Officials have dubbed the new four-lane highway the Avenida Liberdade. The road cuts through tens of thousands of acres of protected rainforest. This development had been previously proposed as early as 2012. However, officials repeatedly shelved the project due to environmental concerns.
Regional government officials are attempting to ease these environmental fears. They claim the road will be “sustainable,” featuring wildlife crossings, bike lanes and solar lighting. However, its construction is sparking controversy among conservationists and nearby residents.
What do conservationists and locals say about the project?
Wildlife experts have expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the highway. They warned the road could fragment ecosystems and disrupt animal migration patterns.
Meanwhile, locals who harvest açai berries in the area said their livelihood has been destroyed as a result. They claimed to have received no compensation for the removal of the fruit-bearing trees they had relied on.
Some also worry that the highway will offer increased accessibility to the rainforest, which could lead to further deforestation.
However, there are residents who see the economic support this project provides. They believe the development will be beneficial for a region where almost half of the population lives below the poverty line and has long been neglected by the Brazilian government.
How is Brazil justifying this project?
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized the importance of the climate conference that this highway is being built for. He said hosting a COP summit in the Amazon will provide an opportunity to showcase the rainforest to the world, focus on its needs and present what the government has done to protect the area.
Yet scrutiny remains over whether flying thousands of world leaders across the globe and building the infrastructure required to host them is undermining this goal.
