Opening up the Amazon region

Series produced by Anton Foek

Caption: Border between countries, Credit: Anton Foek
Image by: Anton Foek 
Border between countries 

Dr Alexandre Rivas is a scientist and teacher at the University of Manaus, capital of the Amazon state in Brazil.
Het tells us about the regional integration buidling hydropowered dams, international roads, oil- and gaspipelines as well as harbors in order to economically develop this part of the world.
He explains, for instance, that the construction of BR 319 from Manaus to Porto Velho in Brazil could be the end of the rainforest as we know it.

Dr. Pitou van Dijck from the Cedla at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands recently published a book by Routlegde in London.
Its called " The Impact of the IIRSA Road Infrastructure Road Programmes on Amazonia " and this book analyses the potential socio-economic and environmental impacts of the Initiative for Regional Infrastructure Integration in South America (IIRSA), a continent-wide programme. IIRSA aims at facilitating intra-regional trade and at improving trade and transport links with world markets.

This is the first book on IIRSA and its potential implications for South America and more specifically for Amazonia. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the infrastructure programme and deals particularly with methods to assess the probable effects of road construction in environmentally fragile territories. To deepen our understanding of the potential impacts of roads in these areas, the book combines insights from economic and environmental sciences and gives a critical review of traditional assessments and strategic environmental assessments (SEAs). A comprehensive approach of assessing impacts is presented in three case studies of SEAs: the Corredor Norte in Bolivia, the road between Manaus and Porto Velho in Brazil, and the proposed road to link Suriname with Brazil.

He invited dr. Alexandre Rivas from the University of Manaus to give a lecture on the subject and we visited dr. Rivas in Manaus. Hide full description

Dr. Pitou van Dijck from the Cedla at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands recently published a book by Routlegde in London. Its called " The Impact of the IIRSA Road Infrastructure Road Programmes on Amazonia " and this book analyses the potential socio-economic and environmental impacts of the Initiative for Regional Infrastructure Integration in South America (IIRSA), a continent-wide programme. IIRSA aims at facilitating intra-regional trade and at improving trade and transport links with world markets. This is the first book on IIRSA and its potential implications for South America and more specifically for Amazonia. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the infrastructure programme and deals particularly with methods to assess the probable effects of road... Show full description


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Opening up the Amazon region and its consequences
From: Anton Foek
Series: Opening up the Amazon region
Caption: Alexandre Rivas, Credit: Anton Foek
Dr. Rivas is a researcher and teacher of environmental economy at the University of Manaus in the Brazilian state of Amazonas.

  • Added: May 20, 2013
  • Length: 13:33