Damming the Amazon


  • Photographer
    Daniel Beltrá
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    February 11-12, 2012
  • Technical Info
    Canon 5D Mk II

Construction of the Belo Monte Dam project, near Altamira in Para State, Brazil, which will be the third largest in the world when completed.

Story

Belo Monte Dam project in Brazil will be the third largest in the world. Once its four dams are complete, an estimated 400,000 hectares in the Xingu River basin will be submerged and 20,000 inhabitants will be displaced, amongst them many indigenous tribes.

The Xingu River is one of the most important tributaries of the Amazon River but its flow will be interrupted for a minimum of seven months during the course of construction. Besides the loss of many species of flora and fauna, the project will also be responsible for a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

The flow of rivers in the Amazon varies greatly by the seasons, necessitating the construction of three other dams in the project to regulate the river flow for hydroelectric production.

My photographs show the vast scale of transformation our world is experiencing from man-made stresses. By taking viewers to remote locations where man and nature are at odds, I hope to instill a deeper appreciation for the precarious balance we are imposing on the planet and inspire sustainable solutions that will allow us to live in harmony with the environment.

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