Tens of thousands of acres of protected rainforest in the Amazon are being felled to make way for a new four-lane highway leading to the Brazilian city of Belem.
The highway is being built partly to help ease congestion in the city ahead of the COP30 climate change conference, due to be held in Belem in November. The city, which is on Brazil’s northern coast, will host about 50,000 people at the conference.
Locals and environmentalists are concerned about the impact the road will have on the local environment. Concerns have also been raised that the new highway will lead to further deforestation, with more of the rainforest becoming accessible to businesses.
There have also been concerns about the animals that live in the area. The ranges of some animals are divided by the new road, which could make it difficult for animals to migrate and look for food and partners to mate with.
However, local officials have said that the impact of the highway will be negligible and “sustainable”. They also said there will be bike lanes and wildlife crossings, where animals will be able to cross over the new road.
Image by Alan Frijns from Pixabay