Brazil Gears Up For First Climate Conference In Amazon

AFP/APP

Brazil: As preparations intensify, Belém, Brazil, is transforming to host the first UN climate conference in the Amazon, COP30, scheduled for November 2025. Sandra da Costa, a local vendor, enthusiastically discusses the upcoming renovations, including the overhaul of the largest open-air market in Latin America.

With over 200 workers on-site seven days a week, the city is bustling with activity to ready itself for the anticipated influx of 60,000 delegates.

Belém, a northern city of 1.3 million people, faces significant challenges, including severe social inequality and inadequate infrastructure, notably a shortage of accommodations.

However, the city is undergoing significant upgrades, such as the restoration of monuments, repurposing abandoned port warehouses into leisure zones, and dredging the river bay to accommodate cruise ships. Two new hotels are also under construction to meet the demand for lodging.

The mayor of Belém, Igor Normando, expressed optimism, saying, “COP30 will be a turning point for the city and the Amazon.” He added that the conference will shed light on the struggles of the Amazonian people, emphasizing the need for global support.

The Amazon rainforest, vital in the fight against climate change, is suffering from increasingly severe fires and droughts, making the UN conference a critical opportunity to address the climate crisis.

COP30, set to take place from November 10 to 21, 2025, is seen as a key event for the global community to commit to reducing emissions and preserving the rainforest to combat global warming.