The government of Venezuela is planning construction of a 230-400 kilovolt electrical line for the Guayana region, which would originate from the Guri Dam and continue to the Brazilian border, where it would be joined with another transmission line in Brazil.
The objective of this line would be to provide electricity for mining and allow the Venezuelan government to sell electricity to Brazil. Fifty-five percent of the line is scheduled to pass through Canaima National Park. The electrical line would require construction of a service corridor along the length of the line, which would be between 120 meters and 140 meters wide. [161] Just in the section of the line constructed south from KM88, over 400 towers would be built, with access roads to nearly every tower.
Although the electrical line passes through several indigenous communities, there has been no public consultation on the plan and the environmental impact study has not been publicly released. However, goverment officials appear to be pushing forward on construction of the line in order to have it operating by December 1998. [163]
Part of ensuring a sustainable future for the Guayana region includes more active public participation and longer-term planning for natural resource conservation and use. Specifically:
- A regional land-use plan based on managing the region at a landscape scale, including participation of local communities, local governments, ministry officials, non-governmental organizations, and universities.
- Demarcation of indigenous territories in consultation with indigenous communities, and consideration of new collaborative arrangements between parks personnel, other government agencies, and indigenous communities.
- Public disclosure and discussion of government plans, such as the environmental impact assessment of the Guri transmission line, or forest management plans.
Absent such measures, implementation of key government plans can be further delayed bylawsuits, protests, or blockades by local inhabitants.
References and notes
161. EDELCA, “Documento de intenci
