Belém is a renewed destination for residents and tourists

After COP30 passed, the city remained rejuvenated. Between the old projects that came to fruition and the spaces allocated for the conference, Belém received more than 30 works. Now, the government’s promise that the investments will be a legacy will be put to the test. The new parks have already been used and praised by the residents, who, on the other hand, lamented the lack of a solution to the sanitation problem. Luxury hotels have been built and the new and expanded port of Otero terminal can now handle transatlantic ships, but experts point to challenges facing the capital Pará’s plan to promote itself as a major tourist destination in the Amazon region. Among the 33 projects that make up the new infrastructure are the Parque da Cidade, where the COP was held, the total drainage of 13 canals with the implementation of linear parks, the renovation of the port of Otero and the São Bras market and the implementation of the bus rapid transit system, as well as Porto Futuro 2 – a gastronomic and cultural center – and the Amazon Museum.

The state government reported that investments amounted to R$4.5 billion, including the state treasury, BNDES, Caixa Econômica, and the partnership with Itaipu Binacional. The federation cites a value, for its part, of R$4.2 billion, but includes BNDES resources in the calculation. When contacted, the parties were unable to clarify the total value and avoid repetition. The City Hall invested R$63.5 million.

During the COP, the new facilities were already attracting the attention of residents. Sisters Merry and Joanna took advantage of this event to enjoy the new attractions. In addition to the tours, they attended parallel programming screenings.

— Belem was always beautiful, but he lacked enthusiasm. The COP helped revitalize, says Joanna, who highlights the restoration of abandoned mansions and warehouses. — I’m passionate about the old architecture of the city, but we didn’t go to Mercado Sao Bras, for example. Now, we’re going.

The São Bras market was renovated and became an attraction during the COP – Photo: Bruno Cruz/Agência Pará

Businessman Douglas Veronesi, who was born in Parana but has lived in Pará for 18 years, praises the “regeneration of the city.” He chose a project – controversial due to deforestation within the environmental protection zone of the Belém metropolitan area – as essential: Avenida Liberdade, which is scheduled for completion next year and will open a second access road to the city, being an alternative to the overburdened BR-316.

– What matters to people is the structural legacy. It could have been better, but five years ago there were neighborhoods here without asphalt. Veronese says that the historical responsibility of making Belem a true tourist city is very great.

Young activist Andrew Leal, who grew up in Terra Firme, the most populous neighborhood on the city’s outskirts and is co-founder of Observatório das Baixadas, has a different view. He agrees that the general population celebrated the works. But he points out that the central region was more fortunate, both in terms of quantity and quality of projects.

– The Nova Duca works were carried out with a much higher level of architecture and urbanism than the overall drainage at Tocondoba, for example. One of the open canals was Veleta, where there were many trees that had been cut down for drainage. And it ends up being violent, because we’re actually in one of the hottest cities in the world and they’re still removing trees – complains Leal.

It also echoes accusations of “environmental racism” voiced by residents of Vila da Barca, where a pumping station was built in the middle of the peripheral community to channel wastewater discharged from Nova Duca into the centre. It highlights that sanitation is one of the main problems in Belem. According to the Trata Brasil Institute, only 20% of Belém’s population has wastewater collection, and treatment amounts to only 2.4%.

If Belem succeeds in making an international mark during the COP, he is certainly going through his cultural heyday. Sound system parties, carimbo shows, samba circles and typical cuisine astonished the foreign audience.

– I understand that the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) had a double impact: it introduced Amazonian Brazil to the world and reinforced for us, Amazonians, the idea that our culture is a strategic heritage – says Geraldo Nogueira, creator and producer of Samba Batuque da Feira do Açaí, one of the most popular venues on conference nights. — The COP demonstrated the extent to which culture influences and drives economies. This is a political legacy that cannot be ignored.

Government officials are betting that Belem will become the main tourist destination in the Amazon region. Thus, the port of Otero has been renovated at a cost of R$233 million, and the terminal will allow more transatlantic shipping and docking operations.

– A new horizon opens up for the city. Every ship that docks here is a factory of jobs, opportunities and income,” said Jardel Silva, CEO of Compania Ducas do Parra.

The Nova Duca Linear Park is an infrastructure work – Photo: Agência Pará

Mariana Al-Drighi, a tourism researcher at the University of the South Pacific, believes Belem has managed to leave the impression of a welcoming destination. But remember that there was negative news such as rising hotel prices and problems in providing services.

— Positioning the city as an event and conference destination will be a major challenge. From a regional tourism point of view, Belem can strengthen itself as an alternative to Manaus. This will depend on how they promote themselves from now on.

When contacted, the government of Pará highlighted that COP30 provided investments that made the capital “a better city for residents and more attractive for tourists.” He said in a statement that 46,000 certificates had been issued to workers in the Capacita COP 30 program, and that there was a project to promote tourism after the conference.