Amazon Rainforest Cleared for Highway Ahead of COP30 Climate Summit

Construction of a four-lane road through protected rainforest in Brazil raises environmental and Indigenous rights concerns as Belém prepares to host the UN climate conference.

Brazil is constructing an 8.3-mile highway through the protected Amazon rainforest to accommodate over 50,000 attendees of the COP30 climate summit in Belém this November.
Environmentalists warn the highway could accelerate deforestation, disrupt ecosystems, and harm wildlife by fragmenting habitats and reducing biodiversity.
Local communities near the highway report economic losses, such as the destruction of açaí berry trees, and fear displacement due to future development projects.
The highway, part of broader infrastructure upgrades, includes solar lighting and bike lanes but has been criticized for contradicting the summit's climate goals.
Indigenous groups and conservationists highlight the broader risks of deforestation, including the displacement of uncontacted tribes and the potential tipping point for the Amazon ecosystem.