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Project Profile Among the most controversial projects proposed for the Amazon, is the Tocantins - Araguaia Waterway, whereby the Tocantins, Araguia and das Mortes rivers would make up part of a new industrial waterway principally for export of grains, minerals and timber from the central-west of Brazil to Atlantic ports in the northeast. If completed, this project will impact an enormous area of the Amazon and "cerrados" ecosystems. The three rivers cover about 800,000 square kilometers, representing 10 percent of the Brazilian landbase.
Three rivers, the Rio das Mortes, Araguaia, and Tocantins would be deepened and widened, creating a river network of approximately 3,000-km, which would link to highways and railroads. The Brazilian Government places the cost of this waterway at US$222.4 million over the next two years, but if all infrastructure costs are accounted for, like port construction, shipping, and building locks at Tucurui and Santa Isabela Dams, the cost could run into the billions. The Brazilian government is funding $109 million, $49 million of which will come from external sources. Private investments are also being sought.
Indigenous Opposition The Xavante indigenous groups are in strong opposition to this project, especially since the waterway significantly alters the Rio das Mortes and impacts the nearby indigenous reserve. The Brazilian Congress has deemed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) inadequate. Currently a new EIA is being prepared. Last spring, the Brazilian NGO, Instituto Socio-Ambiental, filed for an injunction against construction works associated with the waterway on behalf of the Xavante indigenous group. A number of organizations including the International Rivers Network have announced that they will carry out their own assessment of the economic and ecological feasibility of the project.
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