Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America

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The Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA) is a development plan to link South America's economies through new transportation, energy, and telecommunications projects.

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IIRSA investments are expected to integrate highway networks, river ways, hydroelectric dams and telecommunications links throughout the continentparticularly in remote, isolated regionsto allow greater trade and create a South American community of nations.

The initiative was launched in late 2000 with the participation of the 12 countries of South America which form the Union of South American Nations. It is being supported by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the River Plate Basin Financial Development Fund (FONPLATA). Together the three institutions form the Technical Coordination Committee (CCT) which provides technical and financial support for IIRSA activities. [1]

Region

The project is subdivided in several regions, called hubs.

Amazon Hub

Andean Hub

Southern Andean Hub

Capricorn Hub

Central Interoceanic Hub

Guianese Shield Hub

Within the Guianese Shield Hub, 4 groups of projects have been identified. [2] [3]

Group 1: Interconnection Venezuela-Brazil

The anchor project within the first group is the rehabilitation of the Caracas-Manaus road. [2]

Group 2: Interconnection Guyana-Brazil

The anchor project within the second group is the improvement of Boa Vista-Bonfim-Lethem-Georgetown road. [4] The construction of the Takutu River Bridge between Guyana and Brazil on this road was a separate project within IIRSA, [5] as is the construction of a deep water port in northern Guyana and a hydropower plant in Amaila, among others. [2]

Group 3: Interconnection Venezuela-Guyana-Suriname

The anchor project within the third group is the improvement and construction of the Ciudad Guayana-San Martín de Turumbang-Linden-Apoera-Paramaribo road with a connection from Linden to Georgetown. Only the section between San Martín de Turumbang and Linden seems likely to be reconstructed in the imminent future. [6] The various bridges proposed on this route, including the international crossings on the Cuyuni River (Venezuela-Guyana) and Corentyne River (Guyana-Suriname) are also projects within group 3. The section within Suriname of this route is part of the Southern East-West Link.

Group 4: Interconnection Guyana-Suriname-French Guiana-Brazil

The anchor project in the fourth group is the improvement of the Georgetown-Albina road, which includes a bridge linking Albina with Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in French Guiana over the Marowijne River. [7] The section within Suriname of this route is part of the Northern East-West Link. The bridge between French Guiana and Brazil on the Oyapock River and the improvement of the road between Oiapoque and Macapá are also part of this group. It has been suggested that French Guiana, which is not part of the IIRSA project, be included in this respect as an observing partner. [2]

MERCOSUR-Chile Hub

Paraguay-Parana Waterway Hub

Peru-Brazil-Bolivia Hub

Southern Hub

Criticism

According to Conservation International scientist Tim Killeen, who conducted a study on the IIRSA, [8] the current plans could lead to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and have profound and far-reaching consequences.

The study shows that cutting and burning of the forests could seriously imperil the multibillion-dollar agriculture industry of the Rio Plata basin, as well as destroy the ecosystems that are home to indigenous people. According to the study, the IIRSA would also wipe out some of Earth's richest storehouses of terrestrial and freshwater life and would negatively affect climate change by releasing into the atmosphere the huge quantities of carbon dioxide stored in the biomass of the tropical forestestimated at twenty times the world's total annual greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Killeen, the IIRSA does not have to be destructive: "A visionary initiative such as IIRSA should be visionary in all of its dimensions, and should incorporate measures to ensure that the region’s renewable natural resources are conserved and its traditional communities strengthened." [9]

Related Research Articles

The transport sector comprises the physical infrastructure, docks and vehicle, terminals, fleets, ancillary equipment and service delivery of all the various modes of transport operating in Guyana. The transport services, transport agencies providing these services, the organizations and people who plan, build, maintain, and operate the system, and the policies that mold its development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suriname</span> Country in South America

Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south. At under 165,000 square kilometers, it is the smallest country in South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marowijne District</span> District of Suriname

Marowijne is a district of Suriname, located on the north-east coast. Marowijne's capital city is Albina, with other towns including Moengo and Wanhatti. The district borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, the Surinamese district of Sipaliwini to the south, and the Surinamese districts of Commewijne and Para to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Guianas</span> Region in north-central South America

The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word Guayanas, is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lethem, Guyana</span> Town and regional capital in Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, Guyana

Lethem is a town in Guyana, located in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region. It is the regional capital of Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupununi</span> River in Guyana

The Rupununi is a region in the south-west of Guyana, bordering the Brazilian Amazon. The Rupununi river, also known by the local indigenous peoples as Raponani, flows through the Rupununi region. The name Rupununi originates from the word rapon in the Makushi language, in which it means the black-bellied whistling duck found along the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albina, Suriname</span> Place in Marowijne District, Suriname

Albina is a town in eastern Suriname, and is capital of the Marowijne District. The town lies on the west bank of the Marowijne river, which forms the border with French Guiana, directly opposite the French Guianan town of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, to which it is connected by a frequent ferry service. Albina can be reached by bus via the East-West Link. The distance between Paramaribo and Albina is about 150 kilometres (95 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apoera</span> Place in Sipaliwini District, Suriname

Apoera, also Apura, is a town in western Suriname. The village has a population of 777 people as of 2020. It is the final destination of the Southern East-West Link. 24 kilometres (15 mi) north-west on the other side of the Courantyne River lies the Guyanese village of Orealla. The village is home to the Lokono tribe, but has been westernized. Due to the influx of people of Guyana, the languages used are English, and Sranan Tongo. Dutch is rarely spoken and the native language has all but disappeared. According to the oral tradition, Apoera was founded around 1920 by the Gordon family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonfim, Roraima</span> Municipality in North, Brazil

Bonfim is a municipality located in the mideast of the state of Roraima in Brazil. Its population is 12,557 and its area is 8,095 km2. The city lies opposite the Takutu River from Lethem, Guyana. The Takutu River Bridge links Bonfim and Roraima with the town of Lethem and the Atlantic port of Georgetown, Guyana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyana</span> Country in South America

Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is most probably an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. With 215,000 km2 (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname, and is the second-least populous sovereign state in South America after Suriname; it is also one of the least densely populated countries on Earth. It has a wide variety of natural habitats and a very high biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August Kappler</span>

August Kappler was a German researcher, naturalist and explorer who was a native of Mannheim. He is credited as the founder of Albina, Suriname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Guiana</span> Overseas department of France in South America

French Guiana is an overseas department of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas. Bordered by Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south, French Guiana covers a land area of 83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi), and is inhabited by 301,099 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takutu River Bridge</span> Bridge between Guyana and Brazil

The Takutu River Bridge is a bridge across the Takutu River, linking Lethem in Guyana to Bonfim in Brazil. It was completed in 2009 and opened on 31 July 2009. Its official inauguration was on 14 September 2009, in the presence of leaders of both countries. It cost US$5 million and was paid for by Brazil. The bridge was a project within the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America.

The (northern) East-West Link is a road in Suriname between Albina in the eastern part of the country to Nieuw Nickerie in the western part, via the capital city of Paramaribo. The southern East-West Link connects Paramaribo with Apoera via Bitagron. Construction of the road link started in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco-Brazilian Binational Bridge</span> Bridge between Brazil and French Guiana

The Franco-Brazilian Binational Bridge spans the Oyapock River, linking the cities of Oiapoque in Amapá, Brazil and Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock in French Guiana, France. The bridge is cable-stayed, with two towers rising to a height of 83 metres (272 ft) and a length of 378 metres (1,240 ft). There are two lanes for vehicles with a total width of 9 metres (30 ft) and a pedestrian sidewalk with a width of 2.50 metres. The vertical clearance under the bridge is 15 metres (49 ft).

The North Rupununi District in located in south-west Guyana consisting of a mixture of forest, savannah and wetlands ecosystems and is considered one of the most diverse areas in South America. Located on the eastern margin of the larger savannah system which extends into Brazil and is separated by the Ireng and Takutu rivers that come together to form the Rio Branco. The Guyana Rupununi system is divided into the North and South Rupununi by the Kanuku Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ndyuka people</span> Maroon ethnic group of Suriname and French Guiana

The Ndyuka people or Aukan people (Okanisi), are one of six Maroon peoples in the Republic of Suriname and one of the Maroon peoples in French Guiana. The Aukan or Ndyuka speak the Ndyuka language. They are subdivided into the Opu, who live upstream of the Tapanahony River in the Tapanahony resort of southeastern Suriname, and the Bilo, who live downstream of that river in Marowijne District

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Guianas refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Guianas, primarily French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname. This is part of the Caribbean Area which is more similar culturally and linguistically than the rest of South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">France–Suriname relations</span> Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations between France and Suriname were established on 25 August 1976. Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana share a common border of 520 kilometres (320 mi). Suriname operates an embassy in Paris, a consulate in Cayenne, and an honorary consulate in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. France operates an embassy in Paramaribo, a consulate in Georgetown, Guyana, and an honorary consulate in Albina.

References

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