Impacts of Transmission Lines on Tropical Forests – Assessment of the Sociocultural and Environmental Aspects

Abstract

The aim of this work is the assessment of social, cultural, and environmental impacts caused by power utilities when building an electric overhead transmission line crossing virgin rainforest. The methodology implies in the systematization of the impacts and the mitigation actions taken, studying the impacts considering the sustainable development and energy planning. The chosen Case Study is a 500 kV-transmission line in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, crossing a primitive forest and rushing rivers. The results are that the greatest risk is in the political dimension, due to cultural reasons, so this dimension shall be a priority to be considered in future similar projects. The ranking process detailed in this text is not usually applied in the overhead lines planning.