"> Imperiled Riches—Threatened Rainforests RAINFOREST ROADS July 31, 2012 The construction of roads to access logging, oil, and mining sites in the rainforest opens vast stretches of forest to exploitation by landless peasants who are responsible for the majority of rainforest destruction today. Generally these roads are funded by governments and development agencies, but some are also financed by private development interests. One of the most famous projects is the Trans-Amazonian highway in Brazil, which opened up Roraima state to widespread invasion and deforestation by miners and colonists.

Roads in the Brazilian Amazon. Courtesy of Digital Earth.

A new road project in South America that links Amazon outposts in Brazil to Pacific Ocean ports in Peru is of great concern to environmentalists and indigenous-rights groups. The road—known as the "Interoceanic highway" -- runs through the state of Madre de Dios in southeastern Peru, an area of extraordinarily diverse rainforest. The road has already been linked to a surge in illegal logging and mining. The project was completed in 2011.

Roads in Latin America and other parts of the world are increasingly the result of political pressure from corporate interests, namely loggers, mining companies, oil and gas developers, and industrial agricultural firms, rather than government-backed poverty alleviation and development efforts. In the Amazon, the powerful cattle and soy lobby has pushed for infrastructure development so ranchers and farmers can convert remote forest areas and get their products to market faster and at lower cost.

Roads in mountainous regions have added impacts, including exacerbating landslides and soil erosion.

Articles on rainforest roads

Roads to ruin: Africa’s massive infrastructure expansions could have major consequences (11/25/2015)
Oil roads to ecological ruin: Ecuador’s bushmeat and wildlife trade (10/29/2015)
The Manu road in Peru: separate paths of development and conservation (10/05/2015)
New mapping project uncovers road networks in Peru’s primary forests (05/13/2015)
Study finds roads in Southeast Asia may be devastating forests, wildlife (03/20/2015)
Road rage: scientists denounce $60 trillion infrastructure expansion (03/14/2015)
Where should the roads go? New map offers a solution to the ‘Pandora’s Box of environmental problems’ (08/27/2014)
95% of Amazon deforestation happens near roads or major rivers (08/05/2014)
Roads through the rainforest: an overview of South America’s ‘arc of deforestation’ (07/21/2014)
Scientists urge ban on roads in intact wilderness areas (03/21/2014)
50,000 km of roads built across Brazilian Amazon in 3 years (10/29/2013)
Roads could help protect the environment rather than destroy it, argues Nature paper (03/22/2013)
Amazon has nearly 100,000 km of roads (12/08/2012)
Proliferation of mountain roads a hazard to the environment in SE Asia (07/12/2012)
Peru's rainforest highway triggers surge in deforestation, according to new 3D forest mapping (09/06/2010)
Roads are enablers of rainforest destruction (09/24/2009)
Oil road transforms indigenous nomadic hunters into commercial poachers in the Ecuadorian Amazon (09/13/2009)
Industry-driven road-building to fuel Amazon deforestation (03/12/2008)
Logging roads rapidly expanding in Congo rainforest (06/07/2007)
Logging roads lead to disease, social breakdown in Ecuador rainforest communities (12/04/2006)
Roads tied to bushmeat hunting in Africa (05/09/2006)
Chinese economy drives road-building and deforestation in the Amazon (04/17/2005)

Road news feed

Logging road in Borneo. Click image for more information. (Photo by R. Butler)

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Smith, N.J.H., Rainforest corridors, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982 explores the Trans-Amazonian highway project.