- Brazil’s electricity authorities have approved studies that will prepare for the construction of three large Amazonian dams. These dams would flood native lands and protect biodiversity.
- This decision shows that Brazils president administration is confident that the National Congress would approve the bill submitted to President Bolsonaro to allow indigenous lands to be converted to hydroelectric dams. Also, it suggests that dams can still be built without consulting affected indigenous peoples.
- This decision also shows Brazil’s electrical authorities continue not to provide useful information about climate change, the financial viability and many social and environmental effects of Amazonian dams, as well as better energy options.
- This text was translated from the Amaznia Real website by the authors. These views are not necessarily those of Mongabay, but rather of the author.
Brazil’s Amazon dam plans were halted over the past decade after the country’s electrical officials realized that obtaining environmental permits would be difficult if indigenous peoples were impacted. The government’s success in obtaining approvalOf Dams like Belo Monte. Teles Pires (see Here Here) and So Manoel that clearly violate the rights of these people as guaranteed by Brazils constitutionArticle 321, Laws (Decree N 10.088/2019; formerly Law No. 5051 on 19 April 2004) and commitments under International Labor Organization Convention 169. Three of the three large dams that were being delayed would be built in Par on the Jamanxim River. It is a tributary the Tapajs River which is a major river of the Amazon River. A clear sign that this hesitancy is now changing is Brazil’s parastatal electricity holding company (ELETROBRS : Centrais Eltricas do Brasil, S.A.) requesting (and obtaining on 24/01/2022) an extension from the National Agency for Electrical Energy(ANEEL) in order to allow the drafting of economic viability analyses for these dams (see Here Here).
This shows that the Brazilian federal government refuses to acknowledge both the immense environmental and human cost of Amazonian dams as well as the fact that Brazil has better energy options than dams, not only in terms if financial but also in terms of economic impacts. (See here, here, and Here Here). It also shows that government authorities are counting upon the enactment President Jairbolsonaros bill 191/2020The National Congress is moving quickly to allow indigenous lands to be opened to hydroelectric dams and to non-indigenous entrepreneurs to mine, log, and agribusiness operations. Bolsonaro even used the war in UkraineAs a justification to open indigenous lands up for mining, the bill 191/2020 was approved. This bill would also allow them for dam construction. The false excuse that this bill must pass so that potassium can mined in indigenous land to replace imports of Russia was approved by the lower house of Congress. This allowed the bill to be voted on by the lower chamber without any committee procedures and to be granted urgent status.
The three dams (Cachoeira do Ca Jamanxim, Cachoeira dos Patos and Cachoeira dos Camanxim) were the subject of preliminary research during the 2008 inventory (see Table 1) Here, pp. 111-142). The Cachoeira do Ca Dam could flood a portion of the Sawr–Mubyu native area. This area would also be partially flooded by So Luiz do Tapajs Dam, on the Tapajs River (Figure 1). All three reservoirs will flood Jamanxim National Park. The dams and two of them would be located within the park (Figure 2).
Table 1. Table 1. Dams announced for viability research
| Dam | Capacity installed (MW) Fearnside (2015) | Reservoir area (km2) | Indigenous areas | Conservation units Alcaron et al. (2016) |
| Cachoeira do Ca | 802 | 420 | Sawre Muybu indigenous territory | Jamanxim National Park. Itaituba I &II National forests |
| Jamanxim | 881 | 75 | Parque Nacional de Jamanxim | Jamanxim National Park |
| Cachoeira dos Patos | 528 | 117 | Parque Nacional do Jamanxim, Jamanxim National Forest | Tapajs Environmental Preservation Area, Jamanxim National Park (APA Tapajs). |
Dam impacts
The three hydroelectric projects in question are all storage dams. This is because they have reservoirs that can be used to draw down water levels so that power can still be generated during dry seasons when rivers unregulated flow is inadequate. This dam has a greater impact than run-ofriver dams that rely on natural flow to generate electricity. Storage dams are generally larger than their installed capacities. This means that they flood more land (and people). The water in the reservoir also tends to stratify into layers, creating ideal conditions for the production of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Dilma Raoulf, the then President of Brazil, announced in 2013. Policy changesThis has been maintained by putting storage dams ahead of run-of-river dams. subsequent presidents.
Both the loss and gain of biodiversity are environmental impacts. Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystemsAs with other Amazonian dams. Amazonian dams can also produce large amounts of greenhouse gases, especially methane (see Here Here). The three dams proposed have been calculated to cause an Greater impact on global warmingInstead of generating electricity from natural gas, oil, and coal (Figure 2). This calculates the cumulative impact of the gasses over a 20-year span. Which is the time frameTo avoid catastrophic consequences from global warming reaching tipping points, it is imperative that global warming be controlled.
A reservoir with a bottom like the one planned for dams is almost devoid of oxygen. methane being producedWhen organic matter is lost to the sediments. These conditions can lead to chemically similar processes such as Mercury methylation, which converts elemental Mercury into the highly toxic methylmercury. Mercury has been naturally accumulated over millennia in ancient soils of Amazonia (see Here Here) and in this part of Amazonia there is also a large amount of mercury that has been Gold mining releases. Use of mercuryThis is the most common method of separating the gold from alluvial soils. The mercury concentrations in the water at these dams’ locations have been 0.060-0.126mg/liter (see Forsberg, 2015, p. 35). Through the year, mercury concentrations rise bioconcentrationAs it is transported up the food chain, the concentration of the substance increases by approximately a factor ten with each link. Tucunar, a predatory fish, is (Cichla ocelarisThe Amazonian reservoirs are home to a lot of, which is the largest aquatic food source. Humans are the next link. The result is that humans living near reservoirs are exposed to dangerously high levels of the organisms (see Here, Here Here).
The Brazilian government is moving to begin preparations for these dams bodes well for the Amazon in many other ways. Brazils 2050 National Energy PlanThe Ten-year plansThese passages suggest that there would be an expansion of dams beyond those currently on the market. The Tapajs Basin has been the scene of plans. 30 large damsIncluding the three that are being prepared now.
Amazon dams have had a consistent impact on the environment. It is grossly understatedThe environmental impact assessments used in licensing. These dams are also unjustifiable on purely monetary grounds. (see Here Here). This phenomenon is global, as demonstrated by a Study done worldwideexisting dams. Brazil is blessed to have many other options, including the ability to not export electricity in the form Aluminumand other electro-intensive goods, and developing the country’s immense potential for wind or solar power (see Here, Here, Here, here Here).
ELETRONORTE was stated to the newspaper O Estado de So Paulo that “all the projects are technically viable and would bring great gains to the Brazilian population, as they are clean, renewable energy projects with a potentially lower cost than other generation sources.” For the reasons explained in the studies cited above, this author contests all of these claims.
This text has been translated and expanded by the authors column. Amaznia Real website.
