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Are There More Sustainable Options?
While The Cruise Ship Project might seem like a promising solution to the COP 30 housing crisis, it raises significant environmental concerns. Operating the cruise ships in the Amazon River Delta risks causing irreversible pollution from fuel and sewage, which could spread downstream in the Amazon and out to the Atlantic Ocean. While cruise ships have been successful housing options for past mega-events, specifically the World Cup in Qatar and the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, the infrastructure and environmental conditions in Belém are likely unsuitable for supporting the project. As a result, there are a variety of options that could be more sustainable solutions to the housing crisis. These solutions attempt to minimize environmental impacts, while also being economically viable and prioritizing the welfare of marginalized communities in Belém.
Abandoned Federal Buildings As Housing
The most promising solution for the COP 30 housing crisis is a collaboration with the Imóvel da Gente, or the Democratization of State Properties Program [1]. This program, coordinated by the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, aims to repurpose unused government buildings to benefit the public. It was launched on February 26, 2024.
So far, of 33 buildings in the Northern region allocated as part of the program, the Brigadeiro Protásio de Oliveira Airport in Belém will be transformed into a city park and the main stage for COP 30 [2][3].
The program can be further utilized to tackle the challenges presented by COP 30. Converting government buildings into housing for COP 30 would not only help solve the housing crisis but would also jump-start the Imóvel da Gente program with support from COP 30's enormous budget.
At the same time, the speedy transformation of these government buildings for COP 30 housing can help achieve President Lula's main goal of the project: to promote social equity and provide affordable housing for Brazil's poorest populations [4]. Once the events of COP 30 are complete, the new housing complexes will be a promising and innovative approach to low-income housing for the residents of Belém.
The Imóvel da Gente program may be an avenue for strategic and democratic allocation for housing for COP 30 (Infographic by the Federal Government of Brazil)
New Construction
Another government program that could be used in conjunction with COP 30 planning is the Minha Casa, Minha Vida, or the My House, My Life project. Launched in 2009, this project aims to facilitate the production of affordable housing by mobilizing the private sector to build homes for low-income populations in Brazil. The secondary purpose of the project, in addition to creating low-income housing, is to grow the economy by creating new jobs and strengthening the supply chain of private construction companies [5].
A partnership between the National Government, the Government of Pará, and COP 30 could build housing units for the projected 60,000 attendees of the mega-event. Subsequently, these units could be repurposed into low-income housing for the residents of Belém, aligning with the primary objective of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida project. The collaborative effort would also fulfill the secondary purpose of the project by creating new construction jobs for locals. Support from the Government of the State of Pará and COP 30 will help maximize the project's initial budget allocation of R$34 billion ($18.4 billion USD) while preserving future housing plans in other parts of Brazil [6].
While the Minha Casa, Minha Vida project has faced criticism in the past, its involvement in COP 30 planning could enhance the public's confidence and prevent pullout from major construction companies [6]. Finally, the large-scale progress that will be made through the collaboration will demonstrate President Lula's commitment to the project and to improving the quality of life of the Brazilian people [7].
Although this solution would solve the COP 30 housing crisis and provide low-income housing in the future, constructing new buildings will likely have greater environmental impacts than repurposing existing ones.
Converting COP 30 Housing to Low-Income Housing
As previously mentioned, both the Imóvel da Gente and Minha Casa, Minha Vida projects could play a vital role in providing affordable housing for the residents of Belém once COP 30 is over.
In other countries, abandoned buildings have been successfully converted into subsidized housing for low-income populations. Many mega-events, including previous ones hosted in Brazil, often lack sustainability as the infrastructure built for the event remains underutilized afterward. If over 60,000 housing units are needed anyway to support the attendees of COP 30, there is no reason why these units shouldn't be used for public benefit once the event concludes.
Read more about how underutilized spaces have been converted to address housing crises here.
Airbnb
The last solution to the COP 30 housing crisis is to strengthen collaborations between the Government of Pará and Airbnb. In November 2023, the Government of Pará and Airbnb formed a partnership to boost tourism and economic development in the region and support COP 30 in 2025. According to the governor, many of the residents of Belém are willing to put their properties on Airbnb for the event [8].
Using Airbnb is a promising way to alleviate a portion of the housing shortage while also benefiting the local economy and putting money directly in the pockets of the residents of Belém. However, there will not nearly be enough Airbnb rentals to accommodate the anticipated 60,000 attendees. Even if existing hotels are used alongside Airbnb, the shortage of beds is expected to persist.
Moreover, it is worth noting that the residents of Belém who are likely to participate as Airbnb hosts will be of a higher economic status. Although Airbnb will generate extra income for these individuals and, overall, contribute positively to the economy, this solution doesn't do anything to address the needs of marginalized or lower-income communities [9].
More Than One Type of Expert
Two of our group members traveled to Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil, during spring break of March 2024 to participate in a Global Intensive Experience with ASU. We were privileged to meet with a variety of important actors in Brazil including the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Racial Equality, Ministry of Foreign Relations and the United States Embassy. We also visited a private agribusiness in the countryside to understand their role in Brazilian society. Some of the most insightful opportunities we had, however, were connecting with alternative voices for democracy and sustainability in Brazil that included conversations with a lawyer and youth mobilizer, a policy advisor and film director, local university students, and a visit to an encampment of the MST, which stands for the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, or the Landless Rural Workers in English. The mixture of perspectives that we absorbed from government, civil society and activists inspired us to consider as alternative visions and more actors for the future of Brazil.
One example that we learned about during our travels that we want to highlight is the COP das Baixadas group in Belém. The lawyer and youth mobilizer that we met with in Brasilia connected us to this group. COP das Baixadas is an advocacy movement that focuses on climate education and cultural, leisure and sports activities. Their mission is to intentionally create spaces for discussion, planning and action with communities that are in the periphery so that, in turn, they can promote climate and social justice for all in Belém. This group recently held their first edition of programming that revolved around three axes: Climate & Society, Right to the City, Communication & Artivisim. COP das Baixadas asserts that "the outskirts of Belém have already held a COP" which means they certainly have ideas worth sharing for COP 30 in November 2025.
Infographic for the second edition of COP das Baixadas
Learn more about the challenges and opportunties COP 30 presents for Belém using the tabs below!
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