O Desmatamento Corta a Luz: Itaipu, Belo Monte e o Preço da Floresta Perdida

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and Amazônia 2030 analyzes how deforestation in the Amazon rainforest reduces rainfall and river flow, thereby decreasing electricity generation and revenue for Brazil's two largest hydroelectric plants: Itaipu and Belo Monte.

• Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest negatively impacts the Brazilian electricity matrix by reducing river flow and rainfall, leading to a combined annual loss of 3,780 GWh of electricity—equivalent to the consumption of approximately 1.5 million people—and R$ 1.1 billion in revenue for the Itaipu and Belo Monte hydroelectric plants.
• The Itaipu hydroelectric plant, located in Paraná and over 1,000 km from the Amazon biome, suffers an estimated average annual generation loss of 1,380 GWh due to Amazonian deforestation. This results in an annual revenue loss of approximately R$ 500 million, which represents about 6% of the company's average recent net profit.
• The Belo Monte hydroelectric plant, located in Pará within the Amazon biome, experiences an estimated average annual generation loss of 2,393 GWh (6.4% of its 2023 total generation) due to deforestation. This leads to an annual revenue loss of R$ 638 million, approximately 21% of the company's average EBITDA over the last five years.
• The 'flying rivers' phenomenon—moisture-laden air currents from the Amazon—is essential for hydroelectric production. Deforestation disrupts this process because air currents passing through cleared areas do not receive the moisture recharge they would in forested areas, reducing rainfall and subsequent river flow.
• The areas of the Amazon most critical for Belo Monte's generation are more concentrated in eastern Pará and western Maranhão, located within the 'arc of deforestation'. In the most influential 5% of air current trajectories for Belo Monte, 27.5% of the area has been deforested.
• Land tenure analysis of the most relevant areas for Itaipu's generation in Brazil shows that private rural properties registered in Sigef (39.6%) and Indigenous Lands (31.8%) are the primary categories. For Belo Monte, private rural properties registered in Sigef (29%) and Sustainable Use Conservation Units (23%) are the most prevalent.
• Reduced hydroelectric capacity increases the risk of relying on thermoelectric plants, which are generally more expensive to operate and depend on fossil fuels, thereby increasing greenhouse gas emissions and costs for electricity.

APA

Pinto, G. R. S., & Arbache, J. P. F. (2025). O Desmatamento Corta a Luz: Itaipu, Belo Monte e o Preço da Floresta Perdida. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/O-Desmatamento-Corta-a-Luz.pdf

Chicago

Pinto, Gustavo R. S., and João Pedro F. Arbache. O Desmatamento Corta a Luz: Itaipu, Belo Monte e o Preço da Floresta Perdida. Climate Policy Initiative, 2025. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/O-Desmatamento-Corta-a-Luz.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pinto |first1=Gustavo R. S. |last2=Arbache |first2=João Pedro F. |title=O Desmatamento Corta a Luz: Itaipu, Belo Monte e o Preço da Floresta Perdida |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=2025 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/O-Desmatamento-Corta-a-Luz.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pinto2025desmatamento, author = {Pinto, Gustavo R. S. and Arbache, João Pedro F.}, title = {{O Desmatamento Corta a Luz: Itaipu, Belo Monte e o Preço da Floresta Perdida}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2025}, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/O-Desmatamento-Corta-a-Luz.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }