ABSTRACT
Brazil is the second largest hydropower producer in the world, after China. The construction of large hydroelectric dams, especially since the late 1950s, came with numerous social and environmental impacts, which over time became a subject of public debate and state policy. This chapter deals with the emergence of environmental management in hydroelectricity dam construction in Brazil during the military regime (1964–1985). Through the empirical analysis of the construction of the Tucuruí dam in the Amazon region, it questions how this type of management emerged and unfolded amid diverging economic interests and ecological controversies. This case-study shows how an economic sector—hydropower—dealt with a new issue—environment protection—and adapted to pressures coming from different actors ranging from civil society to international lending institutions. It argues that this business sector played a pioneering role, ultimately shaping the practice of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Brazil and influencing the legislation on the subject.
