Infra plans Endanger Latin America’s forests
A wave of planned “mega” infrastructure projects across the tropics of Latin America threatens the region’s forests and the biodiversity and carbon they contain, a group of scientists warned. As the COVID-19 pandemic decimates communities, particularly those of Indigenous groups across the tropics, and pushes economies to the brink of collapse, governments and development banks continue to look to massive investments in roads, railways and dams as a salve to stem the lasting economic damage. The researchers, who represent a cross section of the social sciences, NGOs, and funding organizations, say that, contrary to such trends, the time for overhauling our approach to infrastructure development is now. Infrastructure projects can endanger the services that human life depends on, altering waterways and providing inroads for settlement and further destruction of the forest. The promised benefits of large-scale projects for people in Indigenous and rural communities rarely materialize. Instead, the intent often focuses on reaping the economic bounties available in far-flung areas. The team contends that science should inform the planning of infrastructure projects. That would entail a more vigorous debate about the value of these projects, the team writes, as well as looking at how the consequences of such project are distributed throughout society.
Tags : INTERNATIONAL