Government of Pará reaffirms the importance of the dredging of the Pedral do Lourenço for logistics and sustainable development
The work on the Tocantins River is considered strategic to reduce transportation costs, generate jobs, and increase the competitiveness of production
The Government of Pará reinforced the defense of the dredging of the Pedral do Lourenço, on the Tocantins River, as an essential work to boost the economy of the region and modernize the logistical infrastructure of the country. To ensure the execution of the project, the State sent a letter to the federal government and the Ministry of the Environment, highlighting that the enterprise already has an environmental license granted by Ibama and represents a historical demand to ensure competitiveness, job creation, and cost reduction in the flow of production.
In the stretch between Marabá and Barcarena, the Tocantins-Araguaia Waterway could transport between 20 to 60 million tons of cargo per year, removing up to 500 thousand truck trips from the highways. In addition to relieving roads and reducing accidents, the waterway mode is up to 20 times less polluting than road transport and can reduce logistics costs for producers and exporters by up to 30%.
In a video released on social media, Governor Helder Barbalho emphasized that the State worked to ensure the licensing of the work, allowing for the full navigability of the Tocantins River. He reinforced the position against the proposal to create a new environmental protection area in the region, which could compromise the implementation of a sustainable and strategic development project for Pará and Brazil.
“Pará believes that it is possible to reconcile environmental preservation with economic development. The Tocantins-Araguaia Waterway represents a more sustainable, competitive logistical alternative capable of generating opportunities for our population. We need to ensure legal security so that Pará and Brazil advance in a balanced way in modernizing their infrastructure and protecting their natural heritage,” said Helder Barbalho.
