A four-lane highway is being built through protected Amazon rainforest near Belém, Brazil, ahead of the COP30 climate summit in November, which is expected to draw more than 50,000 people. The 13km road is intended to ease traffic, but its construction has cleared forest and wetland, dividing a protected area. Residents say the damage has already cost them livelihoods: Claudio Verequete, who harvested açaí berries, has lost his income and says he received no compensation. The road will not connect his community, and he fears improved access could bring further development and displacement.
Conservationists warn that the forest fragmentation will restrict wildlife movement and breeding, while reducing habitat available for rehabilitating and releasing injured animals. Pará state officials describe the road as a sustainable mobility project, citing planned wildlife crossings, bike lanes and solar lighting. It is part of a broader building programme for the summit, including hotel and port upgrades, airport expansion and a new public park. Some local businesses welcome the investment and the prospect of increased customers, while others question whether Amazon residents are being heard in decisions made for the summit. The preparations expose a central contradiction: a conference intended to advance climate action is driving forest clearance and construction, prompting scrutiny of the environmental cost of hosting world leaders in the Amazon.
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