Brazil’s thirst for energy to flood Amazon habitats

Brazil’s plans to dam two rivers in the Amazon basin to generate power threaten a treasure trove of animals and plants in a region with one of the world’s richest arrays of wildlife, environmentalists say.

The government wants to harness the vast hydroelectric potential of the Madeira and Xingu rivers in multibillion dollar projects meant to boost electricity supply and ward off a repeat of a power crisis that crippled growth in 2001.

The government’s plans run counter to advice from experts at the World Commission on Dams (WCD), an independent body of international experts, who say dams should be avoided in areas rich in species — like the Amazon which is home to an estimated 30 percent of the world’s animal and plant species.

The case illustrates the dilemma facing many developing countries — often rich troves of biodiversity but also struggling to cater for poor, growing populations for whom environmental concerns often seem an unaffordable luxury.

It’s a conflict-of-interests that will likely hang over United Nations talks on biodiversity, opening in Curitiba, Brazil next week.

Brazil’s government wants to protect the country from the kind of power crisis caused by a 2001 drought. Then, hydroelectric power accounted for around 95 percent of total generation capacity and rationing crippled growth.

Environmentalists say the government has overestimated future demand for energy and even energy sector leaders have doubts about the Madeira plan, and a second project on the Xingu river, called the Belo Monte.

AlertNet