The Potential Effects of Transboundary Road-Building in the Southwestern Amazon shared by Peru and Brazil

Keywords: Amazonia, borderlands, roads, deforestation, carbon, biodiversity, Peru, Brazil
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 62

Abstract

As transboundary road proposals are promoted by governments in both Brazil and Peru, it is increasingly important to consider the impacts that these infrastructure initiatives could have on the diverse cultures and ecosystems of Amazonia. Here, we focus on the proposed 200 km road that would connect the cities of Pucallpa, Peru and Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil in the Southwestern Amazon. Currently, there are two routes under consideration, both of which cross Indigenous territories and protected conservation areas, notably the sister national parks: Sierra del Divisor and Serra do Divisor. Our research uses several socio-environmental indices, including night time lights, carbon, and land cover, among others, to evaluate the biological and cultural diversity of the Sierra del Divisor region. Our goal is to determine the tradeoffs associated with the construction of the proposed Pucallpa-Cruzeiro do Sul road, and to compare the northern and southern routes. This work is especially timely as new road corridors are increasingly promoted even as research shows they may facilitate illegal logging, drug trafficking, land speculation, in-migration, and the spread of diseases, endangering the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest as well as potentially infringing upon the security and autonomy of Indigenous and rural peoples. With our mixed-methods analyses, we aim to highlight the potential effects that transboundary road construction could bring to the bioculturally rich Amazon borderlands.