A massive four-lane highway is being constructed to facilitate the arrival of delegates to the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, which will be attended by representatives from around the world this November. However, felling of thousands of trees to make way for the 13-km stretch of road slicing through the Amazon rainforest has sparked widespread outrage amid concerns over the environmental impact. The climate conference is expected to attract over 50,000 people.
The new highway, cutting through pristine tropical rainforest in the northeastern state of Pará, has left behind an ugly scar in the landscape, prompting environmentalists and locals to voice their concerns. The project, designed to ease transportation for the international summit, has reportedly led to the destruction of thousands of acres of protected forest. One of the primary objectives of the COP programme is to negotiate ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming.
However, experts warn that the loss of forests — crucial carbon sinks — directly contradicts this goal. Forests play a vital role in absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, and the deforestation caused by the highway’s construction could undermine these efforts. Local residents and environmentalists have condemned the project, calling it a glaring double standard. Claudio Verequete, a local who depends on harvesting açaí berries, spoke out about the damage to his livelihood. “Everything was destroyed; our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family,” he told 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 a warehouse.’ And then we’ll have to leave. We were born and raised here in the community. Where are we going to go?”climate summit