Outeiro Island in Brazil sees no upgrades after COP30

Eight months after the United Nations climate summit COP30 in Belém, the district of Outeiro Island (Ilha de Outeiro) remains without the promised infrastructure upgrades. Residents and merchants say the beach and waterfront are still littered with waste, sewage is discharged directly onto the sand, roads are full of potholes and there is no tourist activity.

The municipal administration under Mayor Igor Normando has pledged a revitalisation plan but has given no timetable. The port authority, Companhia Docas do Pará, reports that cruise ship traffic rose 35%, with 65 vessels handled between December 2025 and June 2026 compared with 48 in the same period a year earlier, yet the ships now appear only sporadically. Local bar owner Raimundo José notes that the ships “disappear” and that the area is now empty, with some residents even selling land.

Despite the increased cruise traffic during the summit, the promised investments such as the “Pistão da Água Boa” linear park have not materialised, leaving the community without basic services and deterring tourism.