The Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA) is a development plan to link

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

's economies through new

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of hea ...

, and

telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...

projects. IIRSA investments are expected to integrate highway networks, river ways, hydroelectric dams and telecommunications links throughout the continent—particularly in remote, isolated regions—to 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 The Union of South American Nations (USAN; es, links=no, Unión de Naciones Suramericanas, UNASUR; pt, links=no, União de Nações Sul-Americanas, UNASUL; nl, links=no, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties, UZAN; French: ''Union des nations s ...

. It is being supported by the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the River Plate Basin Financial Development Fund (

FONPLATA FONPLATA Development Bank, formerly known as Río de la Plata Basin Financial Development Fund, is a multilateral financial entity formed by the five countries of this South America sub-region: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. ...

). Together the three institutions form the Technical Coordination Committee (CCT) which provides technical and financial support for IIRSA activities.

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.IIRSA.org
Guyana Shield Hub presentation

Group 1: Interconnection Venezuela-Brazil

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

Group 2: Interconnection Guyana-Brazil

The anchor project within the second group is the improvement of Boa Vista- Bonfim- Lethem- Georgetown road. The construction of the

Takutu River Bridge The Takutu River Bridge ( pt, Ponte do Rio Tacutu) 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 th ...

between Guyana and Brazil on this road was a separate project within IIRSA, as is the construction of a deep water port in northern Guyana and a hydropower plant in Amaila, among others.

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 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. north-west on the other side of the Courantyne River lies the Guyanese villag ...

Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname' ...

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. The various bridges proposed on this route, including the international crossings on the

Cuyuni River The Cuyuni River is a South American river and a tributary of the Essequibo River. It rises in the Guiana Highlands of Venezuela, where it descends northward to El Dorado, and turns eastward to meander through the tropical rain forests of the C ...

(Venezuela-Guyana) and

Corentyne River The Courantyne/Corentyne/Corantijn River is a river in northern South America in Suriname and Guyana. It is the longest river in the country and creates the border between Suriname and the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana. Its tributarie ...

(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 Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (; gcr, Senloran di Maronni) is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is one of the three sub-prefectures of French Guiana and the seat ...

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...

over the

Marowijne River The Maroni or Marowijne (french: link=no, Maroni, nl, Marowijne, Sranan Tongo: ''Marwina-Liba'') is a river in South America that forms the border between French Guiana and Suriname. Course The Maroni runs through the Guianan moist fores ...

. 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 The Oyapock or Oiapoque (; ; ) is a long river in South America that forms most of the border between the French overseas department of French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá. Course The Oyapock runs through the Guianan moist fores ...

and the improvement of the road between

Oiapoque Oiapoque () is a municipality in the north of the state of Amapá, Brazil. Its population is 27,906 and its area is . Oiapoque is also a major river in the same state, forming the international border with French Guiana. The Oyapock River Bridge, ...

and

Macapá Macapá () is a city in Brazil with a population of 512,902 (2020 estimation). It is the capital of Amapá state in the country's North Region. It is located on the northern channel of the Amazon River near its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. The c ...

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.

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,"A Perfect Storm in the Amazon Wilderness" (2007)
/ref> 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 In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

by releasing into the atmosphere the huge quantities of

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is trans ...

stored in the biomass of the tropical forest—estimated 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."Amazon Rainforest at risk from initiative to connect South American economies
/ref>

References

Seel also

Gulf of Paria crossing The Gulf of Paria crossing is a hypothetical bridge or tunnel spanning the Gulf of Paria that would connect the island of Trinidad and South America. Background Trinidad was connected to Venezuela (as also with Tobago) during the last ice age by na ...

* Mesoamerica Project {{Authority control Union of South American Nations Infrastructure in South America Transport in South America