Local leaders want new road links to Peru to boost trade, but environmental groups warn the extension would drive deforestation, threaten Indigenous territories and put Acre’s carbon-credit revenue at risk.
See All Key Ideas Along a freshly repaved stretch of the BR-317 highway in Acre, a Brazilian state bordering Bolivia and Peru in the Western Amazon, pasture stretches out as far as the eye can see.
Solitary Brazil nut trees (Bertholletia excelsa), a protected species, are the only reminder of the tropical forest that once stood there.
The road is part of the Interoceanic Highway, inaugurated in 2011 as the first paved road in South America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
# What's happening Along BR-317 in Acre, pasture now replaces much of the forest that once bordered the highway. That road is part of the Interoceanic Highway, opened in 2011, and has been linked to deforestation on both sides of the Brazil–Peru border.
# Why this matters
Peru, opened in 2024, has renewed political momentum for Pacific-oriented corridors across the Amazon. Acre officials see the state as strategically placed for exports, but environmentalists say the trade argument conflicts with Acre's deforestation commitments.
# Where the risks concentrate
Uncertainty about the road's future is already reshaping behavior on the ground. Between Mâncio Lima and Serra do Divisor, land speculation is increasing and criminal groups established along the border are exploiting the situation, according to local environmentalists.
# Recent deforestation trend in Acre
# Trade-offs for policymakers Policymakers face concrete trade-offs: road-building can reduce transport costs and open markets for agricultural and mineral exports, but it typically expands the footprint of deforestation and illegal land occupation. The Amazon Conservation report frames the choice as incompatible with Acre's current commitments to limit forest loss and to generate carbon-credit revenue for sustainable development.
# What stakeholders are saying Researchers and conservation groups warn roads are the primary vector for deforestation and irregular land occupation in Acre. State authorities and some local politicians continue to advocate for corridor development to the Pacific, citing regional integration and economic opportunity.
# Short-term signals to watch
# Bottom line Extending road access in Acre would likely open new areas to clearing and settlement, which could undo recent reductions in deforestation and reduce the value of carbon-credit strategies meant to fund sustainable alternatives. Political choices in the near term will determine whether Acre follows a development path focused on roads and export corridors, or one that preserves forest-based revenue streams and protected lands.
The Brazilian government has created four new sustainable development reserves in the Amazon as part of an effort to mitigate environmental damage from the controversial plan to fully pave the BR-319 highway. The road will pass through one of the most intact parts of the rainforest, which conservationists warn will lea
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz signed an agreement to begin technical studies for a highway connecting the municipality of San Ignacio de Velasco in the Chiquitania region with the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso.
The BR-319 runs through a largely untouched stretch of the rainforest. A new initiative to pave it could put the Amazon and the global climate at risk.
More than 500 people have invaded Brazil’s Ituna/Itatá Indigenous Land in recent weeks, opening illegal roads, setting deliberate fires and threatening federal agents. The area is home to the Igarapé Ipiaçava Indigenous people who live in voluntary isolation with no contact with outsiders. On Aug. 26, a federal court o
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s Senate has approved a bill to regulate the exploration of critical minerals, including rare earths, marking a step toward exploiting its vast reserves. The bill approved Thursday now awaits President Lula’s signature. It establishes a legal framework and offers tax incentives for domestic
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.