Belem – Two cruise ships stand proudly above a quiet port in the Brazilian Amazon. 50,000 Starting Monday, people will gather for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The Outeiro River Port in Belém, in northern Brazil, is surrounded by a community of fishing people who live on boats and is currently located next to these floating hotels.
Has capacity 6000 peopleships arrived from Europe to provide additional space for foreign delegates gathering in the city of Belem. 1.4 million More than half of the population lives in favelas.
Some guests have complained about the small cabin size and the approximately 20 kilometers (45 minutes by bus) distance from Outeiro Port to the conference venue.
Some see this as a unique opportunity.
“For most conferences, we stay in hotels or apartments.”Belen Mokete, a Lesotho forestry official, said as he waited at the port to board his first boat.
“I wanted something different.”. He hopes to “remember it forever.”
In the months leading up to the conference, organizers scrambled to secure accommodation in private homes, universities and schools, while several hotels in Belém were fully booked. Then board two boats.
Prices have soared.
Accommodating the MSC Seaview and Costa Diadema required significant improvements to the Port of Outeiro, which came at little cost. $45 millionAccording to port officials.
Residents celebrated infrastructure investments in the city that also resulted in bridges to the port and resurfacing of roads.
But environmental groups highlighted the irony that cruise ships, fuel-guzzlers, carbon emitters and water polluters, are inviting delegates to a conference to save the planet.
Some people questioned the decision to hold COP30 in Belem.
president of brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, He argued that it should take place in the Amazon, a powerful symbol of the importance of the rainforest as a carbon sink.
Clearly irritated by the lingering doubts, Lula said the delegation could “sleep under the stars.”
Instead, many people will sleep on the water.
“It’s been a good experience,” Jose Santoro, who works in Brazil’s logistics sector, said at the conference.
“I’ve never been in any of these (…) The bathrooms are a bit small, but I’m a big person,” he said. “The room is very comfortable, there is hot and cold water, and you can use the internet.”
Several conference attendees complained about accommodation issues and prices that can reach hundreds of dollars per room.
Michel Omer Raibao, from Madagascar’s Ministry of Environment, said the delegation was “relatively satisfied.” After much struggle, I found an apartment an hour away by bus from the conference center and ended up living there.
“But Brazil has a reason (…) I think the reason is that Brazil wants to show the Amazon. It’s the lungs of the world,” he added. “It’s a beautiful thing. It’s not every day you get to see the Amazon.”
The price of the cruise also proved prohibitive for many, up to $600 according to the participating delegations, although some rooms were reserved for delegates from poorer countries at lower rates.
Brazil announces contributions from “Non-Government Personnel” To provide three free cabins per delegation from low-income countries.
Rosandera Barbosa, director of ports at Pará state port company CDP, told AFP that Belém has a long-term vision.
Outeiro Pier has been expanded and is now “Perfect for accepting cruises”.
Hoping it would boost tourism, he said the project “will remain a great legacy…because of the increased operations of the port.”
Barbosa dismissed environmental concerns, saying ships have “technology and mechanisms to manage and control the fuel they use.”
For Santro guests, the ship’s bar, restaurant and pool are a new kind of luxury. However, the casino is closed.
“I think they don’t want people to stay there (on deck)…because focusing on the COP is more important than staying on the boat for fun,” he said.
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