A wind farm project in northeastern Brazil, aimed at harnessing the region's strong winds for green energy, is facing controversy over its potential impact on the endangered Lear's macaw. The northeast of Brazil is home to over 90% of the country's wind-power industry, attracting renewable energy companies like France's Voltalia. However, Voltalia's wind farm in Canudos county, Bahia state, has come under fire for being built in a nesting area for the Lear's macaw, also known as the indigo macaw or Anodorhynchus leari.
The Lear's macaw population has drastically declined to an estimated 2,000 in the wild due to habitat loss caused by farming and logging. Marlene Reis, from the Lear's Macaw Gardens Project, expressed concern that the wind farm poses a significant risk to the species and could hasten its extinction. In response to the controversy, a federal court halted the final stage of turbine construction in April, revoking Voltalia's permits. The court ruling mandates further impact studies and consultations with local communities.
Voltalia has appealed the decision, asserting that extensive impact studies have already addressed the potential environmental and social consequences. According to Nicolas Thouverez, Voltalia's country manager for Brazil, the studies have demonstrated that the wind turbines do not endanger the conservation of the Lear's macaw and have established the project's environmental viability. The company has proposed measures such as painting the turbines for increased bird visibility, equipping macaws with GPS trackers, and installing technology that halts the blades' movement when birds fly over.
Brazil has been at the forefront of green energy initiatives, boasting the highest proportion of clean electricity among the G20 nations at 89%. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has pledged to further expand the country's renewable energy capacity, particularly in the impoverished northeast.
The Mines and Energy Minister, Alexandre Silveira, has outlined plans to install up to 30 gigawatts of clean energy production, primarily from wind and solar sources, in the region. This ambitious endeavor could require an investment of up to 120 billion reais (US$24 billion).
However, the opposition faced by Voltalia's wind farm highlights the challenges that projects encounter on the ground. Apart from concerns about the Lear's macaw, the company faces resistance from small-scale communal farmers and cattle ranchers, approximately 7,500 of whom reside in the vicinity of the wind farm. Detractors argue that the wind farm disrupts the natural habitat, contributing to noise pollution, altered rain and wind patterns, and constant vehicle traffic.
As Brazil strives to advance its renewable energy ambitions, finding a balance between sustainable development and the preservation of endangered species and local communities remains a complex and pressing challenge.
