Belo Monte Dam

The Belo Monte Dam is a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River in the state of Pará, Brazil. The planned installed capacity of the dam will be 11,000 MW, which makes it the second largest hydroelectric dam in Brazil, and the third largest in the world. The dam is expected to cost $3 billion and the transmission lines will cost $2.5 billion. The project is developed by the state-owned power company Eletronorte.cite web | publisher= Amazon Watch |url= http://www.amazonwatch.org/amazon/BR/bmd/ | title = Belo Monte Dam | accessdate=2007-05-13]

Controversy

The project is criticized by environmental organisations as it will flood 400 square kilometers of agricultural lands and forest and will directly impact the Paquiçamba reserve of the Juruna indigenous people. It was also said that to be feasible, the Belo Monte dam needs other dams upstream to guarantee a year-round flow of water. This means that more forest will be flooded.cite web | publisher= Conservation Strategy Fund |url= http://conservation-strategy.org/en/brazil/belomonte | title = Belo Monte Dam (Brazil : 2004-2006) | accessdate=2007-05-13]

The first Belo Monte dam proposal was abandoned in 1990s because of international and national protest.

References

External links

* [http://www.belomonte.gov.br/ Belo Monte hydroelectric complex website]