The Polonoroeste Road Project was a scheme to pave an already existing 1,500 kilometer dirt track, the BR-364, from the overpopulated south-central area of Brazil into the more sparsely populated Amazon, in order to encourage resettlement and develop the Amazonian area as an agricultural development. The word “Polonoroeste” means “North-East Pole” and refers to the north-east area of Brazil, incorporating the states of Rondonia and Mato Grasso. Other aims of the scheme were to develop the road system at the end of the highway into these states, to develop new settlements, to improve existing agriculture, improve healthcare in the region and “create ecological and Amerindian reserves” [Wade, 2011]. Some funding from the project came from within
…show more content…
Paving the BR-364 did indeed encourage resettlement, but led to “a huge influx of settlers all staking a claim on the state’s resources” [WORLDWrite]. This resulted in “the fastest rate of deforestation in Brazil” [Schartzman, 1985]. Corruption of the national land agency and the centralisation of the local federal agencies meant that little was done to protect Amerindian reserves, make new settlements viable, or limit the logging in the area [Wade, 2011]. Several new agricultural enterprises failed due to being established on poor quality soil. Brazil’s fiscal crisis also led to problems in the implementation of the project, meaning that by the time allocated funding reached its destination, it had already become devalued by inflation, leading to particularly serious problems in the area of health provision, including a badly managed outbreak of malaria resulting in thousands of deaths [Wade, 2011]. Vaccination (crucial for recently contacted groups such as the Amazonian tribes in the Polonoroeste area) ceased in 1985, putting several thousand lives at risk [Schwartzman, …show more content…
It could be argued that anyone who permanently lives outside a country can never fully understand the needs of that country and therefore comprehend and work objectively within its best interests. More research could and should have been done to understand the needs of the country and develop an appropriate plan accordingly. The World Bank is often criticised for its perceived attempts to impose “Western-style capitalism on developing countries without regard to the social effects” [Levin Institute]. It could be postulated that The Polonoroeste Road Project is guilty of this imposition and bias, and that the needs and desires of the Brazilians were not fully accounted for in the planning of a paved highway which might have served its intended purpose in a more developed country. The World Bank has an ethical responsibility to act in the best interests of the country it is serving, and I feel that in this case, it did not
Paving the BR-364 did indeed encourage resettlement, but led to “a huge influx of settlers all staking a claim on the state’s resources” [WORLDWrite]. This resulted in “the fastest rate of deforestation in Brazil” [Schartzman, 1985]. Corruption of the national land agency and the centralisation of the local federal agencies meant that little was done to protect Amerindian reserves, make new settlements viable, or limit the logging in the area [Wade, 2011]. Several new agricultural enterprises failed due to being established on poor quality soil. Brazil’s fiscal crisis also led to problems in the implementation of the project, meaning that by the time allocated funding reached its destination, it had already become devalued by inflation, leading to particularly serious problems in the area of health provision, including a badly managed outbreak of malaria resulting in thousands of deaths [Wade, 2011]. Vaccination (crucial for recently contacted groups such as the Amazonian tribes in the Polonoroeste area) ceased in 1985, putting several thousand lives at risk [Schwartzman, …show more content…
It could be argued that anyone who permanently lives outside a country can never fully understand the needs of that country and therefore comprehend and work objectively within its best interests. More research could and should have been done to understand the needs of the country and develop an appropriate plan accordingly. The World Bank is often criticised for its perceived attempts to impose “Western-style capitalism on developing countries without regard to the social effects” [Levin Institute]. It could be postulated that The Polonoroeste Road Project is guilty of this imposition and bias, and that the needs and desires of the Brazilians were not fully accounted for in the planning of a paved highway which might have served its intended purpose in a more developed country. The World Bank has an ethical responsibility to act in the best interests of the country it is serving, and I feel that in this case, it did not