Resistance Against Energy & Development – The Case of the Belo Monte Hydropower Project in Amazonia, Brazil

Summary:

Brazil still covers its energy demand with up to 80% of - basically renewable - hydropower. The respective potential amounts to approximately 180.000 MW, further ca. 45 hydroelectricity facilities and dams are envisaged, with 30 ones in Amazonia´s rain forest allone, in Brazil´s "underdeveloped" North. As a gateway and broadly debated case, the Belo Monte hydroelectric project on the Xingu river is meant to become the world´s third-largest hydropower facility. At the same time, the project addresses strongly divergent policies for a sustainable development of the Amazon region.

A vivid civil society´s resistance focuses inter alia on the rights of the indigenous communities and lands. The Belo Monte project induces such a widespread resistance because it is a key project. If it succeeds other dams and projects will follow very fast all over the rain forest. This is what inhabitants of the Amazon suspect. This suspiciousness is caused by a lack of involvement and past broken promises, as the indigenous see it.