Amazon Studies Reveal Infrastructure Opacity and Ongoing Human Settlement

A joint report by Movimento Tapajós Vivo and Transparency International Brazil assessed ten infrastructure projects linked to the Tapajós hydro‑river, the BR‑163 highway and the Tapajós‑Xingu Logistic Corridor. Using the Open Infrastructure Guide, the study gave the interventions an average transparency score of 27.75 out of 100, citing missing environmental studies, licensing documents, execution data and deficiencies in the free, prior and informed consultation process required by ILO Convention 169. Recommendations include centralising information on a public platform, improving risk disclosure and guaranteeing transparent consultation.

Separately, researchers from the Federal University of Amazonas, through the Atlas ODS Amazônia project and Instituto Acariquara, mapped the municipalities of Silves, Itapiranga, São Sebastião do Uatumã and Urucará in the Médio Amazonas. The survey documented continuous human occupation and a diversified economy that includes family farming, fishing, extraction, flour production, forest management, livestock and emerging bio‑economy chains such as certified organic guaraná and tucumã. The study notes the presence of community associations, cooperatives and tourism initiatives, concluding that “the municipalities have a long trajectory of occupation and organization, both socially and economically.”