Socioeconomic problems and environmental conflicts in Brazil
Brazil is a country that depends on hydroelectric energy for around three quarters of its electricity. In recent years, it is very evident that the construction of dams is very vital for the growth of society in Brazil. They bring many benefits such as money, investment and energy for the population. However, this type of construction can cause many socioeconomic problems also. Dam projects are associated with problems such as human rights infractions, the deterioration of the environment and social problems, for example. In this review, I will discuss the information that I have found on these impacts on the indigenous population, the economy and the people of Brazil.
A very large project in Brazil is “El Belo Monte”, a hydroelectric dam that is located north of the Xingú River and that when completed it will be the fourth largest dam in the world. It is a good example of the socioeconomic impacts of dams. It will produce a lot of energy by the people of Brazil, but the total cost will be £ 15 billion and cause some issues for a variety of key pieces. Therefore, it is a fairly controversial project. First, to build this dam, it is necessary to clear a lot of land and many trees. So, there are many inhabitants, approximately 20,000, who have displaced their homes and lost their businesses. As a result, the fishing industry has worsened and many residents called ‘Ribeirinhos’ (in Portuguese), have lost their subsistence and that is why, they have experienced devastating impacts on their lifestyles. The coalition against the dams played the ‘official EIA’ (an evaluation of the consequences of proposed development) in 2009, and indicate exclusions and an absence of attention. This evaluation had not mentioned the possible floods, especially in the villages of Paraá and the drought of some parts of the Xingú River.
Also, the coalition found the dam did not offer many advantages for local communities, only for richer regions and urban centers. However, according to the Brazilian government "El Belo Monte" would help the construction of dams in other waters. He claimed that the infrastructure of the dam would not be located in indigenous land and therefore, the permit of these people was not necessary. After these discussions, in April 2010 a federal judge in to suspend the project due to this lack of consultation, but the decision was revoked the same day.
Another proposed press that has caused some controversy is "Sao Luiz do Tapajos". The greatest reason is that this press would have had many particular consequences, for an indigenous group called "Munduruku" that is living in the Amazonas river basin. This group has experienced many problems in the past with reference to their land and their borders and this project would have forced many members to transfer them, although approximately 650 mile of this land belongs to them and other native groups. Fortunately for them, ‘the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources’ canceled the environmental authorization of this project in Augusto 2016, because he said that he would cause too much interference with his land. Many non -governmental organizations such as ‘WWF’ and ‘Greenpeace’ were also relieved because the decision avoided a negative impact on many of the species of extinction in the region such as ‘the Titi’ a well -known species here.
A remarkable dam in the evaluation of socio -economic and environmental impacts is the ‘Sobradinho’ dam. First, it is important to consider the social impacts that exceed most problems in this case, in my opinion. At the end of 1977, the inhabitants of four cities and 30 rural villages had abandoned their homes, approximately 12 thousand families, due to the floods that occurred in the construction process.I discovered environmental conflicts such as coastal erosion and reduced biodiversity. Unlike most of the other dams that I have explored, the Sobradinho dam had more positive impacts for the country. After the construction of the Sobradinho dam, for example, the infant mortality rate in the Northeast of Brazil improved significantly. Also, economically, it allowed multiple water use through irrigation and navigation that causes economic benefits for the indigenous population. In the long term, it has reduced the number of floods in the region and has prevented many droughts. Finally, in the state of ‘Rôndonia’, there is a hydroelectric dam called the Jirau dam. In my research I found evidence of many similar problems here such as deforestation, invasions of indigenous territories such as ‘Caripunas’, and surprisingly, some cases of diseases such as malaria and hepatitis too. There are some outstanding conflicts about this dam. A labor analysis showed indigenous groups fled from the region after threats to their territory, the noise of construction and several worrying explosions to their land near their land.
To conclude, according to my findings, it is clear to me that the construction of dams in Brazil has caused many socioeconomic problems in the past and remains problematic today today. I have found a variety of sources with examples of these issues, but personally, I would say that the most serious problem among these is the impact on the indigenous population – because it is evident in each case that I have investigated. So, I think it is very important that the authorities implement some measures to prevent the exploitation of these people.
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