Massive Dam Project Strikes at the Heart of the Amazon
The Brazilian government is planning to build what would be the world's third largest hydroelectric project on one of the Amazon's major tributaries, the Xingu. Belo Monte would divert the flow of the Xingu River and devastate an extensive area of the Brazilian rainforest, displacing over 20,000 people and threatening the survival of indigenous peoples.
What's the true cost of Belo Monte Dam? The answer is that no one knows yet. What's clear is that Belo Monte will be one of the largest, most devastating infrastructure projects ever to be built in the Amazon. As its cost estimates rocket skyward and the extent of its impacts over several thousand square kilometers of the Amazon become more evident, it is clearer than ever that Brazil doesn't need Belo Monte, and that the project will bring destruction - not development - to a unique region.
