Brazil to Invest $75 Million in Highway Through Amazon and Unveils Environmental Protection Plan
Officials said the plan adds monitoring, checkpoints and new conservation units as critics warn paving could speed deforestation in the Amazon.
- On Wednesday, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a $75 million investment to pave the BR-319 highway through the Amazon, simultaneously launching an environmental protection plan for the region.
- The 900-kilometer dirt road remains the only connection between Manaus, a city with more than 2 million residents, and the rest of Brazil, making infrastructure development a longstanding regional priority.
- Environmentalists cite a 2014 study finding that 95% of forest clearing occurs within 5.5 kilometers of roads, warning that paving BR-319 could accelerate Amazon deforestation and illegal side-road construction.
- Officials pledged to install inspection checkpoints and monitor a 50 kilometer-wide strip along the route; Lula vowed, "From an environmental standpoint, it will be the most modern road in the world."
- Climate Observatory executive director Marcio Astrini criticized the plan for bypassing due process, while Minister George Santoro confirmed the entire highway will be under contract by the end of June.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Using a law passed by the right parliament: it's a very controversial project by environmentalists
Lula drives the most controversial Amazonian road in Brazil with an initial investment of R$ 381 million, a decision that has once again divided the country between those who defend the economic development of the region and those who warn of a new threat to the largest rainforest on the planet: the Amazon. The paving of the historic BR-319, a 885-kilometre road that connects Manaus with Porto Velho, could completely transform the mobility and e…
Lula da Silva reaffirms the support for the project and ensures that the works will advance, making this "environmentally, the most modern road in the world". Organizations question environmental licensing.
The Toronto Star
Brazil to invest $75 million in highway through Amazon and unveils environmental protection plan
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s government announced Wednesday that it will invest $75 million in the BR-319 highway cutting through the Amazon rainforest, a project environmentalists say could accelerate deforestation
Associated Press News
Brazil to invest $75 million in highway through Amazon, fueling deforestation concerns
Brazil’s government has announced a $75 million investment in the BR-319 highway, a move environmentalists fear could speed up Amazon deforestation.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
