Amazon deforestation: simulated impact of Brazil’s proposed BR-319 highway project

The scenario of deforestation in the Amazon may change with the reconstruction of Highway BR-319, a long-distance road that will expand the region’s agricultural frontier towards the north and west of the Western Amazon, stretches that until then have extensive areas of primary forest due to the hard access. We simulate the deforestation that would be caused by the reconstruction and paving of Highway BR-319 in Brazil’s state of Amazonas for the period from 2021 to 2100. The scenarios were based on the historical dynamics of deforestation in the state of Amazonas (business as usual, or BAU). Two deforestation scenarios were developed: (a) BAU_1, where Highway BR-319 is not reconstructed, maintaining its current status, and (b) BAU_2, where the reconstruction and paving of the highway will take place in 2025, favoring the advance of the deforestation frontier to the northern and western portion of the state of Amazonas. In the scenario where the highway reconstruction is foreseen (BAU_2), the results show that deforestation increased by 60% by 2100 compared to the scenario without reconstruction (BAU_1), demonstrating that paving would increase deforestation beyond the limits of the highway’s official buffer area (40 km). The study showed that protected areas (conservation units and indigenous lands) help to maintain forest cover in the Amazon region. At the same time, it shows how studies like this one can help in decision-making.