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Development, dams and Dilma: the saga of Belo Monte

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  • Hall, Anthony
  • Branford, Sue

Abstract

The Belo Monte hydropower scheme on the River Xingu in Brazilian Amazonia symbolizes the persistent contradictions between industrial modernization and resource conservation in a fragile environment. For over 30 years, local populations have battled with the energy authorities, contesting the top-down planning approach regularly applied in Brazilian infrastructure expansion. Reconfigured over the past decade as ‘neo-developmentist’, the model complements neoliberalism and is based on a strong alliance between the state as financial backer and the private sector as executor of such major schemes as Belo Monte. Following her predecessors, President Dilma continues to employ authoritarian tactics with little apparent regard for dealing comprehensively with its anticipated severe economic, ecological and social impacts, and with minimal consultation of diverse local groups, especially poorer agricultural and indigenous populations. More transparent and democratic planning procedures are necessary for Belo Monte and similar schemes if Brazil’s environmental credentials are not to be seriously compromised.

Suggested Citation

  • Hall, Anthony & Branford, Sue, 2012. "Development, dams and Dilma: the saga of Belo Monte," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 46393, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:46393
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46393/
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Johannes Schmidt & Rafael Cancella & Amaro Olímpio Pereira Junior, 2014. "Combing windpower and hydropower to decrease seasonal and inter-annual availability of renewable energy sources in Brazil," Working Papers 562014, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute for Sustainable Economic Development.
    2. repec:zbw:inwedp:562014 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Andrea Schapper & Christine Unrau & Sarah Killoh, 2020. "Social mobilization against large hydroelectric dams: A comparison of Ethiopia, Brazil, and Panama," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 413-423, March.
    4. Aniseh S. Bro & Emilio Moran & Miquéias Freitas Calvi, 2018. "Market Participation in the Age of Big Dams: The Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam and Its Impact on Rural Agrarian Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Cuoghi, Kaio Guilherme & Leoneti, Alexandre Bevilacqua, 2019. "A group MCDA method for aiding decision-making of complex problems in public sector: The case of Belo Monte Dam," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    6. Randell, Heather, 2016. "The short-term impacts of development-induced displacement on wealth and subjective well-being in the Brazilian Amazon," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 385-400.
    7. Anuja Shaktawat & Shelly Vadhera, 2021. "Risk management of hydropower projects for sustainable development: a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 45-76, January.
    8. Mayer, Adam & Lopez, Maria Claudia & Moran, Emilio F., 2022. "Uncompensated losses and damaged livelihoods: Restorative and distributional injustices in Brazilian hydropower," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Belo Monte; Brazilian Amazonia; hydropower; dams; environmental and social impacts; neodevelopmentalism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General

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