Damned if he does: Lula decides the fate of Belo Monte by Almeida Studio

Brazil’s president must decide whether to renew the operating license of the Amazon’s biggest and most catastrophic hydroelectric plant. His choice will determine the Workers’ Party’s legacy in the Amazon, and the fate of the Xingu River

To show how these decisions could impact low-income communities and ribeirinhos, Sumaúma got in touch with local leaderships and obtained data on deforestation around the hydroelectric plant.

As a freelance data designer, I mapped and charted the region with QGIS, Illustrator and Photoshop, with special attention to how the project has already impacted local conservation efforts and how that could worsen if the project is extended.