4-lane highway built in the Amazon rainforest for climate summit: 'Everything has been destroyed'

12punto FOREIGN NEWS

It has been announced that a four-lane highway passing through protected areas of the Amazon rainforest has been built ahead of the COP30 climate summit to be held in the Brazilian city of Belem. Government officials argued that the project aims to facilitate transportation for world leaders and more than 50 thousand participants who will attend the summit. Officials described the highway as a 'sustainable' project. Environmental advocates, who stated that trees were cut down in the Amazon for the highway construction, demanded that the project be stopped.

Local people living in the region and environmental activists claimed that the construction would damage the ecological balance of the Amazon. It was observed that large piles of logs formed in the areas where tree felling took place, and it was pointed out that nearby forested areas were being destroyed.

LOCAL PEOPLE LOST THEIR HARVEST

Claudio Verequete, who lost his income from açaí palms due to the highway construction, said, 'Everything has been destroyed. Our harvest has been cut off, we no longer have an income to support our family.' Verequete added that he had not received any compensation from government officials.

Pointing to the potential harmful effects of the project on wildlife, Prof. Silvia Sardinha stated the following:

'As soon as deforestation begins, losses occur. It will become difficult for wild animals to be rehabilitated and released into nature. The living and breeding areas of terrestrial animals will shrink.'

GOVERNMENT DEFENDED THE PROJECT

The President of Brazil and the Minister of Environment emphasized that COP30 will be the 'first climate summit held in the Amazon' and stated that they will tell the world about the conservation efforts in the region. Pará State Infrastructure Secretary Adler Silveira said the highway is 'sustainable' and will modernize Belem. Silveira underlined that the road will be equipped with wildlife crossings, bicycle paths, and solar-powered lighting systems.

According to BBC reports, some shopkeepers in Belem think that the project will contribute to the city's development and the revitalization of trade. However, local residents express concerns that the construction could lead to more deforestation in the long term.

Critics argue that major events like COP30 attract thousands of people to the region, increasing the need for infrastructure, and that this situation contradicts environmental goals. Warnings are being issued that the project could have lasting effects on the sensitive ecosystem of the Amazon that needs to be protected.

News Source: 12punto