Belo Monte Dam Research Paper

Target for severe criticism from biologists, environmentalists, and the Brazilian population, the construction of the Belo Monte dam is becoming increasingly unfeasible, both for environmental and social reasons. It is certain that the Belo Monte dam will bring benefits to the country, but the damages caused to the population and the environmental health of the region surpass any positive aspect of this dam. The dam's installed capacity of at least twelve thousand megawatts is the third largest in the world. This dam means a major breakthrough for Brazil in terms of the supply of renewable energy, which is free of polluting emissions. It also generated jobs and favored economic development, not only in the region, but also in the country. But all of this glory falls apart when considering the absolute damage to nature and society. The Belo Monte dam will soon flood the history of several Indians,
In the case of the Lubicon Cree, the indigenous people were directly affected due to an oil spill which contaminated the river that was their main source of water. Although the dam in Belo Monte is not meant to directly affect the indigenous tribes in a negative way, the Indians are still being forced to move due to the redirection of the Xingu river. The river is not only their main source of water, but also of food and income. Additionally, the redirection the reduces the flow of the river, impeding the navigation of riverside and indigenous populations, as well as allowing the contribution of the formation of small lakes with standing water, which could lead to the spread of diseases—such as dengue and malaria. In both cases, basic human rights and environmental issues were neglected in order to ensure that the projects would continue to be executed. That is because the interests of the social stratification come before the basic survival needs of a minority