Today is International Day of Action for Rivers, and what better way to commemorate it than watching the award-winning documentary film, Belo Monte: After the Flood!
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Brazil: Hate Speech Threatens the Xingu
Imperatriz Leopoldinense probably had no idea where it would lead them when they chose to speak out about the Xingu, but they chose the right path. Because today, to defend the Brazilian Indian is to defend the future of our country.
Counterintuitive: Global Hydropower Boom Will Add To Climate Change
"The new study confirms that reservoirs are major emitters of methane, a particularly aggressive greenhouse gas," said Kate Horner, Executive Director of International Rivers, adding that hydropower dams "can no longer be considered a clean and green source of electricity."
Indigenous Rights and Territories Under Attack in Brazil
Make no mistake about it, indigenous rights and territories are under attack in Brazil. We recently reported on attempts by the administration of President Michel Temer to roll back indigenous rights and environmental protections, moves that fundamentally undermine land demarcation norms while portending dire consequences for the Amazon and its...
Siemens, the Pope and the Law of the Jungle
At Belo Monte, the writing is on the wall because, all over the Amazon, new dams are planned or being built. A key role in the protection of the forests, rivers and animals will now be played by the indigenous person.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 25 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Brazil’s Hydroelectric Plans Threaten Its Paris Climate Commitments
Brazil's government wants to build dams in Amazonia with "big reservoirs." That is quite a point of departure compared to the run-of-river dams that have dominated the country's planning and construction activity over the last two decades.
Victories by Brazil’s Indigenous Movement Demonstrate Ways To Resist Authoritarianism
From North to South America and around the world, the ascendency of authoritarian leaders portends dangerous days ahead. Yet at the same time, remarkable stories continue to emerge of determined resistance to these brutal regressions, led by the continent's indigenous peoples from the Amazon to Standing Rock.
Belo Monte: After the Flood
Belo Monte: After the Flood is a documentary exploring the effects of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on the environment and peoples of the Brazilian city of Altamira and the Xingu River basin, a tributary to the Amazon River.
An Indigenous Community’s Battle To Save Their Home in the Amazon – In Pictures
There are currently over 60 major hydroelectric dam projects in the Amazon. The third largest project is the Belo Monte on the Xingu River, Brazil, which has already displaced 20,000 indigenous and riverine people.
Brazil’s New Government Needs Economic Growth and May Sacrifice the Amazon To Get It
The impeachment of former president Dilma Rousseff, coup or not, represents a fundamental realigning of modern Brazil. For some in the country, the crisis is an opportunity. These politicians and businessmen are now exploiting the upheaval to roll-back environmental laws and get their hands on the vast natural resources found in protected regions...
Brazil Judge Suspends Operating License for Belo Monte Hydrodam
A judge in Brazil's Amazonian state of Para suspended the operating license of the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River for failing to provide required water and sewage services to local communities.
Victory on Brazil’s Tapajós River and the Battle that Lies Ahead
Last week, in a stunning turn of events, Brazil's environmental agency IBAMA definitively shelved plans to carve the São Luiz do Tapajós mega-dam into the heart of the Amazon. Deeming the project a socio-environmental liability for its devastating impacts upon the lands and way of life of the Munduruku people, IBAMA's bold move could reflect a...
Indigenous Tribe Applauds State Move To Cancel Brazil Amazon Dam
Indigenous people living in Brazil's rainforest have welcomed a decision by the national environment agency to cancel a proposed mega-dam in the Amazon which they say would have displaced communities while opening the sensitive region to logging.
Major Amazon Dam Opposed by Tribes Fails To Get Environmental License
Christian Poirier of Amazon Watch said: "We have been awaiting such a welcome announcement from the Brazilian government for more than a decade, while witnessing the tragic and unnecessary damming of the Madeira and Xingu rivers during this time."
Brazilian Government Cancels Mega-dam on the Amazon’s Tapajós River
Brasilia, Brazil – Brazil's Federal Environmental Agency announced the cancellation of licensing for the polemic São Luiz do Tapajós mega-dam, the largest hydroelectric project planned for the Amazon.
Indigenous People Protest Against the Violation of Their Rights in Front of Brasilia Embassies
Last week's indigenous mobilization in Brasilia – detailed in the following blog from the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) – came as a response to the current, alarming and mounting assault on the rights of Brazil's indigenous peoples. The Brasilia protest articulated an appeal from indigenous leadership to national governments via their...
Dams Threaten Future of Amazonian Biodiversity, Major New Study Warns
Amazonia's surge in hydropower development threatens numerous species with extinction and puts unique habitats at risk, warns a recent study.
Brazil: Rules Protecting Amazon Under Threat in New Political Fight
Renewed attempts by top lawmakers to remove environmental licensing requirements for "strategic" development projects in Brazil have been stalled. Controversial schemes include stalled plans for the São Luiz do Tapajós hydroelectric complex – which critics warn could infringe on indigenous lands, destroy local biodiversity and trigger...
Brazil’s New Government May Be Less Likely To Protect the Amazon, Critics Say
"Those who have taken power are backing an explicitly regressive, anti-environmental agenda," said Christian Poirier, of U.S.-based Amazon Watch.
Brazil Prepares to Roll Back Green Laws
Taking advantage of Brazil's present political turbulence, as the battle to impeach President Dilma Rousseff reaches its climax, reactionary politicians are quietly rolling back environmental and indigenous protection laws in defiance of the country's commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Brazil’s Political Meltdown Could Spell Disaster for the Amazon
Under the cover of political mayhem, lawmakers have discreetly moved this polemic proposal toward a plenary vote, threatening to erase Brazil's environmental legislation in one fell swoop.
Brazil’s Congress Moves Ahead to End Nation’s Environmental Safeguards
A Commission in the Brazilian Senate has quietly approved a constitutional amendment that would shred the environmental safeguards currently required for public works. If ratified, the amendment could give a green light and fast track approval to major infrastructure projects nationwide including the controversial Sao Luiz do Tapajós hydroelectric...
Belo Monte and How NOT to Produce Energy in the 21st Century
The most important project of President Dilma Rousseff's energy program is also a monumental example of how energy should not be produced in the 21st century. In addition to its high price tag, the dam is associated with corruption and massive human rights violations due to its social and environmental impacts.
Indigenous Representatives Call on GE to Save Their Amazon Home
Jacksonville, FL – Earlier today, Munduruku Indigenous leaders from the Amazon participated in General Electric's Annual General Meeting, where they asked the company not to take part in a controversial mega dam project in the heart of the Amazon.
Bold Moves Block Tapajós Mega-dam and Uphold Indigenous Rights, for Now
In the shadow of last week's contentious vote to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's indigenous agency FUNAI and environmental agency IBAMA made unexpected, decisive rulings in defense of indigenous rights and ecological protection in the Amazon.
Amazon Mega-dam Suspended, Providing Hope for Indigenous People and Biodiversity
This Wednesday, IBAMA, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Resources suspended the São Luiz do Tapajós dam’s license, citing its threat to the Indigenous lands of the Munduruku Indians, a land claim just recently recognized by FUNAI, Brazil’s National Indian Foundation. The decision could still be reversed by the Brazilian...
Brazil Amazon Dam Project Suspended Over Concerns for Indigenous People
While the recession may have forced a pause in the development of the region, Brazil’s political crisis, which looks set to see President Dilma Rousseff removed from office next month, could change that dynamic. “We are living in a moment of great instability. Potentially, a new Ibama president could reverse the decision.”
Insider Claims Rousseff Coalition Took Funds from Belo Monte Mega-Dam
"It further confirms what we've suspected since the project was rammed forward, in violation of Brazil's legislation and constitution," said Christian Poirier, program director of Amazon Watch. "Today's news sheds further light on the rampant corruption that underpins the construction of Belo Monte. Aside from its looming ethical...
Belo Monte and the Face of Development We Refuse To See
It does not come as a surprise to those who have followed the Belo Monte saga over the last six years that the mega-dam has been allowed to begin operating this year without first complying with most of its legally mandated socio-environmental conditions.
