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<p>The proposed Brazil–China transcontinental railway, connecting Brazil’s Atlantic coast to Peru’s Pacific port of Chancay, has re-emerged as a flagship infrastructure project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Promoted as a pathway to economic growth and regional integration, the project raises major concerns that have yet to be fully addressed in public debate or policy planning. This piece critically examines the railway’s potential socioenvironmental, economic, and geopolitical impacts. Drawing on recent evidence from Amazonian infrastructure projects and relatable international experiences, megaprojects,&#xa0;particularly in ecologically sensitive regions like the Amazon,&#xa0;often result in deforestation, threats to Indigenous lands, escalating debt, and governance challenges. While the Brazil-China railway project is framed as a symbol of South–South cooperation with improved connectivity and trade benefits, its implementation risks reinforcing extractive development models and compromising Brazil's national sovereignty. Without strong environmental safeguards, transparent governance, and meaningful consultation with affected communities, the railway could deliver lasting degradation rather than shared prosperity. As Brazil navigates its infrastructure future, this case offers a timely opportunity to reconsider how large-scale development can align with environmental justice, ecological integrity, and long-term national interests.</p>

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The costs of connection: Socioenvironmental risks of the Brazil-China railway across the Amazon

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月15日

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  • Rodrigo Béllo Carvalho

摘要

The proposed Brazil–China transcontinental railway, connecting Brazil’s Atlantic coast to Peru’s Pacific port of Chancay, has re-emerged as a flagship infrastructure project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Promoted as a pathway to economic growth and regional integration, the project raises major concerns that have yet to be fully addressed in public debate or policy planning. This piece critically examines the railway’s potential socioenvironmental, economic, and geopolitical impacts. Drawing on recent evidence from Amazonian infrastructure projects and relatable international experiences, megaprojects, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions like the Amazon, often result in deforestation, threats to Indigenous lands, escalating debt, and governance challenges. While the Brazil-China railway project is framed as a symbol of South–South cooperation with improved connectivity and trade benefits, its implementation risks reinforcing extractive development models and compromising Brazil's national sovereignty. Without strong environmental safeguards, transparent governance, and meaningful consultation with affected communities, the railway could deliver lasting degradation rather than shared prosperity. As Brazil navigates its infrastructure future, this case offers a timely opportunity to reconsider how large-scale development can align with environmental justice, ecological integrity, and long-term national interests.