
Lalo de Almeida brazilian, b. 1970
39 3/8 x 26 in
English version:
VITÓRIA DO XINGU, PA, Brazil, 03/09/2013. Aerial view of Belo Monte’s main powerhouse construction site on the Xingu River, Brazil. More than 80 % of the water in the Xingu has been diverted from its natural course, making it one of the largest man-made interventions, comparable to what was done to construct the Panama Canal. With the dam and the detour of the Xingu for the construction and operation of the largest hydroelectric plant in the Amazon, in 2015, the quantity, speed and level of water in the region no longer derive from the natural flow of the river, but from the Norte Energia concessionaire responsible for operating Belo Monte. The company controls the volume of water that passes through the gates of the plant, going down the Volta Grande do Xingu, a 140 km stretch of the river with many rapids, channels and rock outcrops. With the risk of having up to 80% reduction in its flow, the region that holds two Indigenous Lands and hundreds of riverside families may collapse.