The Belo Monte Dam is being built in Amazonia, Northern Brazil, and once
completed, it will be one of the four largest hydroelectric power
plants in the world. The power plant is a major infrastructure project
in Brazil that should contribute to the country’s energy security and
benefit the economy. As any large construction, it also has potential
drawbacks. Due to its location, Belo Monte already have and will
continue to disrupt ecossystems and human lives. The negative impacts of
the dam have created polemic discussions among different interest
groups. This controversy is investigated in this paper in its various
aspects: political, ecological, cultural, social, and economic. The
findings of this research are presented in the form of scenarios of
alternative future possibilities for the region. This Master’s Thesis
aims at helping different interest groups to envision alternative
futures with these scenarios, and to provide tools to create change
towards their preferred futures.