MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Across-Amazon highway to be built for COP30 sparks controversy

Sloths will have their way back into the wild hindered by the new structure

As Brazilian authorities prepare for the upcoming COP30 climate summit in November in Belém, constructing a new four-lane highway - Avenida Liberdade - through the protected Amazon rainforest has sparked controversy. The structure seeks to ease traffic for the expected 50,000 attendees, including world leaders. But it has led to significant deforestation, fragmenting ecosystems and disrupting wildlife movement along its 13 kilometers.

However, the State of Pará defends the project as a “sustainable highway,” citing features like wildlife crossings, bike lanes, and solar lighting, as it is listed among 30 infrastructure projects to modernize Belém for COP30. Other developments include airport expansion, a new city park, and port redevelopment.

While some locals, like market vendors, primarily see the economic benefits, conservationists argue that the deforestation contradicts the summit's environmental goals.

The Brazilian government emphasizes the summit as a chance to highlight Amazon protection efforts, but critics question whether the environmental cost of hosting such events undermines their purpose. The final report notes growing scrutiny over the carbon footprint of global climate summits.

“Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family,” local resident Claudio Verequete was quoted as saying by the BBC. “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,” he added. “We were born and raised here in the community. Where are we going to go?”

Meanwhile, veterinarian Silvia Sardinha, a wildlife researcher, has warned of possible injuries to animals caused by vehicles using the highway, with sloths among the species most frequently needing treatment. “We are going to lose an area to release these animals back into the wild, the natural environment of these species,” she stressed. “Land animals will no longer be able to cross to the other side too, reducing the areas where they can live and breed,” she further noted. In Sardinha's view, those living in the Amazon are “not being heard” by the Brazilian government.

“The state government of Pará had touted the idea of this highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, as early as 2012, but it had repeatedly been shelved because of environmental concerns,” the BBC also explained.