Weekly Report - 09 June 2011 (WR-11-23)

BRAZIL | Belo Monte. The environmental and renewable natural resources institute (Ibama) has awarded a license for the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric dam to be constructed on the Xingu River in the state of Pará [WR-11-20]. According to Ibama's official statement, "the licensing process was marked by a robust technical analysis that resulted in the incorporation of social-environmental concerns". Construction of the dam is heavily criticised by local environmental and indigenous groups which claim that it would cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem and the traditional way of life of the indigenous communities in the area. The issue was brought to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), which urged Brazil to cease work on the dam until it could provide assurances that the rights of the indigenous people were not being violated.

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