Belo Monte Dam - Environmental Effects

Environmental Effects

The project is strongly criticized by indigenous people and numerous environmental organizations in Brazil plus organizations and individuals around the world.

Belo Monte's 668 square kilometres (258 sq mi) of reservoir will flood 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi) of forest, about 0.01% of the Amazon forest. Though argued to be a relatively small area for a dam’s energy output, this output cannot be fully obtained without the construction of other dams planned within the dam complex. The prognosed area of reservoir for the Belo Monte dam and the necessary Altamira dam together will exceed 6500 km2 of rainforest.

The environmental impact assessment written by Eletrobras, Odebrecht, Camargo Corrêa, and Andrade Gutierrez listed the following possible adverse effects:

• The loss of vegetation and natural spaces, with changes in fauna and flora;
• Changes in the quality and path of the water supply, and fish migration routes;
• Temporary disruption of the water supply in the Xingu riverbed for 7 months;