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 Madeira River vista (Wilson Dias, ABr) The Madeira River is the Amazon's largest and most important tributary. Spanning about a quarter of the Brazilian Amazon, the Madeira Basin is a treasure trove of biodiversity, providing home to the spotted jaguar, giant otter, pink dolphin, and countless other endangered mammal species. The river teems with life – an estimated 750 fish species migrate some 4,500 km each year to spawn and feed in the nutrient-rich, muddy waters of the upper Madeira.
But all this is under threat. The Brazilian government is planning to build two massive hydroelectric dams on the Madeira. Construction of these projects–plus two additional dams upstream–would transform the Madeira into an industrial shipping canal, providing the power and transport needed to move large quantities of resources out of the Amazon—and accelerate its destruction. The project is the largest of the Initiative for the Integration of South American Infrastructure, or IIRSA.
Area of influence of proposed hydroelectric dams on the Madeira River
The dams have preliminary approval from environmental licensing agencies, and the Brazilian government is offering the projects to private investors. The projects would block the transport of sediment and the passage of fish and threaten the river’s unique biodiversity, affecting the land and livelihoods of thousands of river bank dwellers and indigenous people. The habitat of thirty–three endangered mammal species would be destroyed. And the Amazon’s most important tributary would no longer flow freely. International Rivers is working with a coalition of civil society organizations based in the region to stop the construction of these projects and promote viable alternatives to meet Brazil’s energy needs. Through technical analysis, grassroots mobilization and legal challenges, International Rivers is working to protect the Amazon Basin, one river at a time. Other Resources on the Web
LATEST ADDITIONS: Muddy Waters: Impacts of Damming the Amazon's Principal Tributary The Darkest Stain on Marina Silva's Record More information: The Amazon under threat: Damming the Madeira, International Rivers fact sheet on Madeira dams Both sides say project is pivotal issue for Brazil, New York Times article with slide show on Madeira dams project The Amazon´s Largest Tributary is under Threat, Friends of the Earth pamphlet on the Madeira projects. Friends of the Earth, Brazilian Amazon, Ecological group analyzes financing for large-scale projects in Amazon, has good news resources on its site. Fobomade, Bolivian group working with local populations in the border area that would be affected by the Madeira River dams. Rio Madeira Vivo, Campaign page of Brazilian groups opposing the dams. CONTACT US: Glenn Switkes |
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