The dam was opposed by an alliance of indigenous and traditional communities, and international environmentalists, all to no avail. Tens of thousands of indigenous and traditional people were forced from their homes, and had to give up their fishing livelihoods.
Meanwhile, the city of Altamira endured boom and bust, as workers flooded in, then abandoned it. The Belo Sun goldmine, if ever built, also continues to be a potential threat.
In this story, Mongabay contributor Maximo Anderson and photographer Aaron Vincent Elkaim document the ongoing harm being done by the giant dam. Belo Monte, today, stands as a warning regarding the urgent need to properly assess and plan for mega-infrastructure projects in Amazonia. The neighborhood has now been completely destroyed by the Belo Monte dam. The area where the community once stood is being turned into a public park by the Norte Energia consortium which built and operates Belo Monte.
More clear is the ongoing harm being done by the giant hydroelectric projects already completed to the environment, indigenous and traditional communities.
We were based in Altamira, a once small Amazonian city that saw explosive growth when the Brazilian government decided to build the controversial six-billion-dollar mega-dam. The dam was built in a record three years, despite widespread outrage and protests from locals, along with the environmental, indigenous and international community. She has been doing research for her PhD on the displacement of ribeirinho traditional riverine communities in the Xingu region.
