Brazil Grants
Environmental License For Dam
The
Brazilian government has granted an environmental license for
the construction of a controversial hydroelectric dam in the
Amazon rainforest.
Environmental activists have criticised the Belo Monte dam on
the Xingu River, in the northern state of Para. They claim it
will devastate a large area of rainforest, damage fish stocks
and threaten indigenous groups.
Brazil's Environment Minister, Carlos Minc said whoever wins the
17 billion US dollar contract would have to spend 800 million US
dollars fulfilling a series of demands to protect the
environment.
This includes the relocation of an estimated 12,000 people. Belo
Monte will be the world's third largest hydroelectric dam with
an expected capacity of 11,000 megawatts.
Panos/ Qasim
