Brazil Has Chopped Down Acres Of The Protected Amazon Rainforest To Build A Highway For COP30
The move has sparked backlash, as people say destroying parts of the rainforest for a climate summit contradicts COP’s very mission to fight climate change.
Brazil is cutting down tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest to build a new four-lane highway for the upcoming COP30 climate summit in the city of Belém.
Brazilian authorities have said the 13 kilometer (8.2-mile) highway near the city of Belém will ease traffic to the city for more than 50,000 attendees at the conference in November.
The state government has said the highway is “sustainable”, calling it an essential mobility project to modernize Belém.
However, the move has sparked backlash, as people say destroying parts of the rainforest for a climate summit contradicts COP’s very mission to fight climate change.
The Amazon rainforest plays a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide and preserving global biodiversity.
Scientists and conservationists have warned the road will destroy the ecosystem, endanger wildlife and accelerate deforestation.Local residents have also reported losing land and livelihoods without compensation.
One resident, Claudio Verequete, who lives about 200 meters from where the road will be, telling the BBC that "Everything was destroyed." "Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family,” he said, adding that the government has not given him any compensation.
Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, also known as Lula, has defended the event as “a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon”, saying it will highlight the forest’s importance.
Brazil is also planning to expand the airport for US$81 million and build a 500,000 square meter city park.
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