Some of the most conflictive issues in the Pan Amazon revolve around construction of major infrastructure, industrial development, and mining.  In the 1970s, when the Tranzamazônica (BR-230) was being built and oil exploration was getting underway, the requirement to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) did not exist. This changed in the 1980s and 1990s […]
  • Environmental impact assessments for development projects in Amazon countries have evolved from highly biased, centralized procedures to more rigorous processes that aim to avoid conflicts of interest.
  • EIAs have also become increasingly focused on the social impacts of development and on how to mitigate them or compensate affected communities.
  • Large-scale development projects are generally reviewed by national-level entities while less controversial initiatives can be attributed to regional governments.