Plans to pave a highway running through the Amazon have been suspended over fears it would increase deforestation. It was first introduced by former President Jair Bolsonaro.
A Brazilian federal court on Thursday ruled against a plan to pave a key highway that runs through the Amazon rainforest, citing environmental concerns.
The BR-319 roadway is a largely dirt road that runs through the rainforest, connecting the city of Manaus to the rest of the country.
Before leaving office, far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro gave permission for the road to be paved, ignoring environmentalist concerns over deforestation.
Judge Maria Elisa Andrade cited the “absence of a climate impact study” in her ruling, saying that the government lacked a plan to prevent rampant deforestation.
What were the concerns over the road?
“Justice was done. The importance of this decision is gigantic,” said Suely Araujo, a policy expert with environmental lobby group Climate Observatory, which brought the lawsuit seeking to block the road.
“There are no conditions to control the explosion of deforestation that paving the road will cause.”
The main worry is that a major paved road would make it easier for illegal loggers and land grabbers to access more remote parts of the forest that have so far remained relatively untouched.
According to one study, the paving of the road could lead to a fivefold increase in deforestation by 2030, leading to the loss of an area the size of the US state of Florida.
Key road to remain unpaved for now
The BR-319 was built by the military government in the 1970s to connect Manaus, now a city of 2.2 million people, to other urban centers.
It quickly fell into disrepair and now turns into an impassable mud road during the rainy season, blocking access for loggers.
President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftwinger who took over from Bolsonaro in 2023, has a favorable attitude to paving the road, arguing that it could be achieved while also protecting the environment.
His government launched a working group on the issue, but had not commenced the work.
Brazil is the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, responsible for almost 3% of total global emissions.
Brazil’s emissions are largely due to the cutting down of the world’s largest rainforest.
