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Possible Solution for the Housing Crisis
With over 60,000 people expected to attend COP 30, Belém faces the challenge of accommodating the influx of visitors. With only 12,000 hotel bed spaces currently available, the city's hospitality sector doesn't have the capacity to support such a large-scale event [1]. As a result, other housing options are needed if Belém expects to successfully host the event in 2025.
One possible solution proposed by the government is dredging the Guajará Bay and bringing in cruise ships to serve as hotels for attendees [1] [2]. While this seems like a promising way to accommodate an event of this size, cruise ships are generally tough on the environment. Hence, significant concerns are raised about the potential impact of the cruise ships on the Amazon River and its surrounding ecosystem.
Cruise Ships: World Cup Qatar & Summit of the Americas (2009)
Cruise ships have successfully served as lodging for past mega-events including World Cup Qatar and the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. In Qatar, 4,000 rooms were provided across multiple cruise ships, while in Trinidad and Tobago, 4,700 rooms were available [3] [4].
The Sumit of the Americas was a smaller-scale event with only 5,000 guests, all of whom were housed in the cruise ships [4]. World Cup Qatar, however, used the cruise ships as a supplemental, luxury option for prospective guests. Most guests found accommodation in one of 31,000 hotel rooms across the city or in nearby cities in the UAE [5].
Bringing multiple ships into Guajará Bay will not realistically address the remaining 48,000 unaccounted-for bed spaces. Additionally, Belém is the biggest city in the surrounding area, meaning that guests will have greater difficulty finding other housing options outside of the city, particularly due to limited transportation options [1].
Cruise ship as a floating hotel for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (Photo by Sapphire/ZIPFM)
Cost Benefit Analysis
While cruise ships have proven effective in addressing housing challenges for other mega-events, there are pros and cons associated with this solution considering the unique circumstances of COP 30, Belém, and the Amazon region:
Pros
The cruise ships will provide many bed spaces in one place, but still probably not enough bed spaces for 48,000 more attendees.
No construction is needed, which will prevent pollution caused by construction.
This solution will not cause additional stress to the city's sewage system.
Cruise ships will be used for future business and not left abandoned after the event
Cons
Cruise ships use an exorbitant amount of fuel.
Fuel and waste from the ships will lead to excessive water and air pollution.
Pollution may carry downstream to the Amazon River.
World's largest cruise ship only holds 7,600 guests
Cruise ships are often scheduled and booked 2 years in advance, showing a tight time frame for use in December 2025
Learn more about the challenges and opportunities COP 30 presents for Belém using the tabs below!
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