Balbina Dam, Hydroelectric reservoir in Amazonas, Brazil.
The Balbina Dam is a hydroelectric dam and power station on the Uatumã River in the Amazon rainforest, in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas. Built from 1985 to 1989, it has an installed capacity of 250 megawatts and floods a 2,360-square-kilometre reservoir. The dam is managed by Eletrobras Amazonas GT.
Built from 1985 to 1989 on the Uatumã River, the dam was meant to supply renewable power to Manaus. The first of its five generators started in February 1989. Around 2,928.5 km² of land formerly occupied by the Waimiri-Atroari was removed from their territory and flooded, and the reservoir was never cleared of forest before filling.
The creation of this reservoir displaced the Waimiri-Atroari people, an indigenous group with deep roots in this forest region. Their connection to the land became an important part of how the project is understood today.
The reservoir is accessible by road from nearby towns, and visitors can view the water and islands from several vantage points. The dry season offers the best conditions for traveling and seeing the landscape clearly.
Research has found that this reservoir releases greenhouse gases at levels far exceeding those from a coal plant producing the same amount of electricity. This happens because organic matter from the flooded forest decomposes in the water over time.
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