BR-163

BR-163 is a highway in Brazil, going from Cuiabá, the capital city of Mato Grosso state, to Santarém in the state of Pará. It runs through 1,780 km (1,110 mi) in the heart of the Amazon Basin. Currently, only 44% of the road are paved. Most parts of the road are muddy and impassable in the wet season. Lorries can get stuck for up to 10 days. As part of the Avança Brasil project, it has been proposed to pave the road in its entirety.

Conservationists worry that paving the road will lead to deforestation in the Amazon through greater access to pristine areas, cheaper transportation costs for soybeans and other agricultural commodities, and land speculation along the highway.

References

Brazil’s Amazon Basin. Global Development and Environment Institute Working Paper NO. 09-05"

External links