The Amazon Rainforest is facing a critical threat with the potential reconstruction of the BR-319 highway. The vast and challenging terrain poses a significant risk, as no oversight body has the resources, reach, or capacity to contain the chaos that this project would unleash.
Currently, the region is already crisscrossed by over 6,000km of illegal side roads, creating a devastating fishbone pattern that grants access to miners, loggers, land grabbers, and organized crime. If the BR-319 is reconstructed, it would become an artery of destruction, fueling uncontrolled deforestation in the central Amazon and the AMACRO region, a deforestation hotspot comprising the states of Amazonas, Acre, and Rondônia.
The consequences of this project would be catastrophic, destroying biodiversity, intensifying climate change, fueling illegal mining and logging, violating Indigenous rights, and creating fertile ground for organized crime to thrive. The ‘flying rivers’, which transport moisture from the Amazon to southern Brazil, would also be disrupted, leading to crippling droughts in major cities and agricultural regions.
Moreover, the destruction of forest ecosystems would increase the risk of zoonotic diseases, as seen with the rise in malaria and Oropouche fever cases in the region. These diseases have already spread beyond Brazil, highlighting the global impact of environmental destruction in the Amazon.
The BR-319 project would primarily benefit oil and gas giants, mining companies, and agribusiness conglomerates, while Indigenous communities along the highway’s path have not been properly consulted. This project would only further strengthen the grip of organized crime in the region, leading to more deforestation, carbon emissions, and violence on the ground.
The Brazilian government’s push for the bioeconomy as a sustainable alternative is deeply controversial, as it risks greenwashing destruction in the Amazon. Legislation like the ‘devastation bill’ and the ‘marco temporal’ law further undermine environmental protections and Indigenous land rights, paving the way for unregulated expansion.
In the face of these threats, it is crucial for the Brazilian government to make a science-based decision on the BR-319 project. The potential consequences of this highway go far beyond short-term profits and political gain, as the destruction of the Amazon would have lasting impacts on the climate, biodiversity, and our collective future.
As we stand at this critical juncture, we must ask ourselves: is the destruction of the planet worth a few more kilometers of road? The legacy we leave behind for future generations will be defined by the choices we make today.
This article was rewritten based on the original content by Monica Piccinini, a regular contributor to The Ecologist, focusing on environmental, health, and human rights issues.
