An Uncertain Future

     The construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant has divided public opinion, it will bring benefits and losses for the population, among which stand out environmental factors like: population, economic, territorial and cultural. Thus, it is the duty of the population study projects presented by the government to adopted the best option to co-relationship between people and those responsible for the work, in other words, not interfering on daily activities involving the economy, work, way of life.

    Why do we need Belo Monte? This construction will not bring benefits to residents of the Xingu. The plant construction is a political project that may cause damage to the environment. Local habitants will lose their homes and their land. The economic model in which we live requires electric power generation. The growing consumerism will continue to spend the resources of our planet until one day the resources will end. Importantly, the area in which construction was planned covers approximately 516km ² in full Amazon rainforest, which may imply a greater ecological devastation and even change the natural cycle of the environment. But what really worries the society is the environmental reserve of Xingu, where there is a considerable Indian population, apart from wild animals that would be affected by these changes. It should also be considered that this building will influence the monthly income of the local population, harming local agriculture. So, to avoid any conflicts between local people and those responsible for construction of the plant must be designed restructuring programs that promote the region's advantages for them as well as enhanced economic development.

      The investment for this construction is approximately $ 19 billion (corresponding to nineteen times the budget of Paraná). But the plant of Belo Monte will be the world's third largest, behind the Three Gorges Power Plant (China) and the Itaipu Dam (Brazil and Paraguay) and this demonstrates that Brazil grows not only in economic terms but also in means of sustainability and potential energy. Some members of the local population have their own income resulting from agriculture, but they have a poor sanitation and poor school quality. With the construction of the plant, there will be opportunities for improving living conditions and education. After evaluating these factors IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) authorized the construction, aware that affect biotic conditions in the region, but there will be plans to stabilize the damage done to the population and territory.

   What should we do? We should stop being consumer. Should there be limit on energy consumption. We should seek alternative sources of energy. But, Brazil needs energy today to develop. Belo Monte will flood less than 0.01% of the Amazon, while much is deforested illegally every day. This loss will be for a good cause, because the third largest hydroelectric dam in the world is needed today, and tomorrow it will be imperative.

    With all this, one realizes that the project of Belo Monte power plant will bring many further discussions and assessments cautious about it. As citizens, we must review the features involved in this project: care for local people, preserve the local ecosystem without affecting wildlife, improving local living conditions. The government must make the right decision and the civil society must participate.