A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is under construction to prepare for the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil.

The road is intended to ease traffic for the conference, which will welcome over 50,000 attendees, including world leaders, in November.

While the state government emphasises the highway’s “sustainable” features, many locals and conservationists are alarmed by the environmental consequences. The Amazon rainforest is crucial for absorbing carbon and preserving biodiversity, and critics argue that destroying parts of it directly contradicts the summit’s climate-focused mission.

The partially completed highway cuts through more than 13 km (8 miles) of rainforest into Belém. Towering trees flank the road’s edges, while piles of logs and heavy machinery indicate the extent of deforestation. The road is also being built through a protected area, raising fears that it could trigger further environmental degradation.

Claudio Verequete, who lives about 200 meters from the construction site, once earned a living harvesting açaí berries from the now-cleared forest.

“Everything was destroyed,” he says, gesturing at the clearing.

“Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family.”

He says he has received no compensation from the state government and is currently relying on his savings. Verequete worries that the road will lead to further deforestation by granting easier access to businesses.

“Our fear is that one day someone will come here and say: ‘Here’s some money. We need this area to build a gas station, or to build a warehouse.’ And then we’ll have to leave.

“We were born and raised here in the community. Where are we going to go?”

Despite living nearby, his community will not be connected to the highway due to barriers on either side.

“For us who live on the side of the highway, there will be no benefits. There will be benefits for the trucks that will pass through. If someone gets sick, and needs to go to the centre of Belém, we won’t be able to use it.”

Environmental scientists share these concerns. The highway will divide protected forest areas, disrupting wildlife movement and fragmenting the ecosystem.

Prof. Silvia Sardinha, a wildlife veterinarian and researcher at a university animal hospital overlooking the highway site, treats and rehabilitates injured wild animals. She fears that releasing them back into the wild will become more challenging with the highway in place.

“From the moment of deforestation, there is a loss.

“We are going to lose an area to release these animals back into the wild, the natural environment of these species,” she said.

“Land animals will no longer be able to cross to the other side too, reducing the areas where they can live and breed.”

The Brazilian president and environment minister have described COP30 as historic, emphasising that it will be “a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon.”

They argue that the summit will spotlight the Amazon’s needs, showcase the region to the world, and highlight federal conservation efforts.

The highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, was first proposed by the state government of Pará in 2012 but was repeatedly shelved due to environmental concerns. Now, it is one of many infrastructure projects revived or approved in preparation for COP30.

Adler Silveira, the state’s infrastructure secretary, listed the highway among 30 projects aimed at “modernising” the city and enhancing its capacity to host the summit. He described the highway as a “sustainable” and “important mobility intervention,” featuring wildlife crossings, bike lanes, and solar lighting.

Other infrastructure developments include new hotels, port renovations to accommodate cruise ships, and an $81 million (£62m) federal investment to double airport capacity from seven to 14 million passengers. Additionally, a new 500,000 square-meter city park, Parque da Cidade, is under construction. It will feature green spaces, restaurants, a sports complex, and other public amenities.

While some residents welcome the investment, others remain concerned. João Alexandre Trindade da Silva, who sells Amazonian herbal medicines in Belém’s Ver-o-peso market, acknowledges the downsides of construction but believes the long-term benefits will outweigh the challenges.

“The city as a whole is being improved, it is being repaired and a lot of people are visiting from other places. It means I can sell more and earn more,” says Dalci Cardoso da Silva, who runs a leather shoe stall.

He recalls a time when Belém was “beautiful, well-kept, well cared for” and sees the current development as a chance to restore the city after years of neglect.

However, the highway and other infrastructure projects have drawn global scrutiny.

“We hope the discussions aren’t just on paper and become real actions. And the measures, the decisions taken, really are put into practice so that the planet can breathe a little better, so that the population in the future will have a little cleaner air.”

Critics question whether the environmental cost of hosting COP30, including flying thousands of delegates across the world and building large-scale infrastructure, undermines the summit’s mission to combat climate change.