Amazon Rainforest Cut Down to Build Road for Climate Summit
A new four-lane highway is cutting through the Amazon rainforest in Brazil to help delegates reach the COP30 climate summit. This summit, happening in November, will bring people from all over the world to the city of Belém in the northeastern state of Pará.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited Belém in February to see workers building auditoriums and venues for the summit. Prince William is also expected to attend the event, which will host over 50,000 people.
However, the construction of this road is causing serious environmental damage. The highway cuts through the Amazon rainforest, leaving an eight-mile-long scar in the trees.
One of the main goals of the COP30 summit is to discuss how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming. Forests, like the Amazon, play a big role in this because they help absorb harmful CO2 from the atmosphere.
Despite this, Brazilian officials argue that the new road is “sustainable.” But locals and conservationists are angry, saying the road is cutting down protected areas of the rainforest.
Claudio Verequete, a local man who collects açaí berries from the trees, shared his concerns. “Everything was destroyed, our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family,” he said. “Our fear is that one day someone will come here and say: ‘Here’s some money. We need this area to build a gas station, or to build a warehouse.’ And then we’ll have to leave. We were born and raised here in the community. Where are we going to go?”
Prof Silvia Sardinha, who works at a university animal hospital near the site, also expressed worry about the damage to wildlife. “From the moment of deforestation, there is a loss. We are going to lose an area to release these animals back into the wild, the natural environment of these species,” she said. “Land animals will no longer be able to cross to the other side too, reducing the areas where they can live and breed.”
Adler Silveira, the secretary for infrastructure in Pará state, defended the project. He called it a “sustainable highway” and said it was an “important mobility intervention.” He added that the road will include wildlife crossings to help animals pass safely over the highway.
Despite this, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest for the new road has raised concerns about the true cost of the summit’s preparations.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
