This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Equinix is to build a second data center in Lisbon The colocation firm this week announced plans for LS2 a new International Business Exchange (IBX) facility to be located adjacent to Equinix's existing LS1 site LS2 will offer 2,050 square meters (22,065 sq ft) of colocation space The company aims to invest €50 million ($54.3m) in the project said: “The surge in demand we are seeing from companies in Lisbon and across the Atlantic and Mediterranean makes this investment timely and significant Lisbon has the potential to become a dense and valuable strategic hub and we are delighted to contribute to its growth and position ourselves as the cornerstone of Europe.” Equinix currently operates a single data center – LS1 – in Lisbon. The site - at Avenida Severiano Falcao, 14 Prior Velho - consists of one building with 16,000 square feet (1,475 sqm) of colocation space. Equinix acquired the site from Itconic in 2017 with Itconic having acquired it from Telvent/Carrierhouse in 2015 Plans for a second Lisbon facility – LS2 – were first revealed in an earning call last year The facility will initially offer 625 racks VP for growth and emerging markets at Equinix added: “Equinix is committed to supporting the sustainable growth of the Internet to serve economies across the world Lisbon has immense potential to become a valuable strategic hub for international businesses scaling their operations across Europe Our newest Lisbon IBX solidifies Equinix’s position as the leading connectivity provider for southern Europe serving the world’s digital infrastructure needs beautifully.” Equinix signed a solar PPA in Portugal with Sonnedix last year The ten-year deal will see the colocation firm procure the output from Sonnedix’s first Portuguese solar PV project Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Lisbon Picture the scene: relaxed after a day spent exploring a new city a delicious dinner under your belt (followed up by a couple of cocktails you decide on a whim that you’re just not done with your night yet don’t panic: that’s where we come in Don’t say we’re not good to you Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! DRFancy a night dancing to African rhythms More than just a club or performance venue where nights always start with a concert before the DJs come on and the large dancefloor has views of the river You’re in luck – every once in a while the club holds workshops where you can perfect your moves 3 out of 5 starsRecommended© JF MachadoA few years ago Copenhagen was known for its popular after-hours parties and all its African subgenres) reign supreme The programme runs from Monday to Sunday – yes It offers a selection of Portuguese and international rap 4 out of 5 starsRecommended©DRFinalmente one of Lisbon’s most iconic LGBTQ+ clubs a drag persona created by Fernando Santos (featured in the 2009 film Morrer como um Homem/Die Like a Man She shares the stage with other major players in the Lisbon scene Finalemente is still one of the best places in the city to go out any day of the week DRIn this late-night club (which is only open at the weekend or public holidays) things only really get started at dawn. In recent years, Harbour, along the Lisbon riverfront, has become one of the most popular after-hours spots in Cais do Sodré, featuring a monthly programme that focuses on electronic music. the music played in this club (which is separated into an upper floor and a basement where the dancefloor is located) is indie Incógnito was the city’s first alternative space and is probably the most respected institution around São Bento – a bastion of integrity and consistency where the state of music has been discussed for years ©Inês Calado RosaTokyo and Jamaica two iconic spots from Cais do Sodré have now moved into a shared space closer to the river Tokyo still focuses on live music with a small stage while Jamaica continues to play pop and rock hits Start your night in Tokyo and end up in Jamaica – and all without jetlag.  Francisco Romão PereiraRecently, Create Art, a creative hub under development, moved to Prior Velho, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Lisbon. Inside, you’ll find nightclub Komplex, which operates on Fridays and Saturdays until 8.00 am, featuring an international electronic music lineup. However, the four-story venue is much more than just a club, with new offerings expected in the near future. DRWe’re not exaggerating when we say that the Lounge is one of the best spots in Lisbon for a night out Its line-up is one of the venue’s biggest draws On a typical night – even a Sunday – you might start with a raw sweaty rock ‘n’ roll concert and end up dancing to obscure disco tracks at four in the morning the bar is so popular it’s hard to find a spot to dance From the mainstream Rock in Rio to the more alternative (and recent) Nova Batida there are artists and concerts for every taste - even for those who like to camp facebookinstagramAbout us Contact us Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email. The Judicial Police are investigating the cause of the fire that broke out on Friday afternoon in the industrial area of Prior Velho and destroyed more than 200 vehicles.  In statements to Lusa news agency, the sub-regional commander of Greater Lisbon for Civil Protection, Hugo Santos, said that “the Judicial Police is already on the ground”. The fire consumed a car park next to Lisbon airport, owned by a company that collected vehicles from passengers who were then traveling by plane. The alert for the fire – which did not cause any personal injuries or spread to nearby warehouses – was given by telephone at 5:58 pm on Friday, with the flames being extinguished at 10:50 pm and the rescue operations continuing until around 2 am. According to Hugo Santos, one of the two floors of the car park was affected, with no damage to the floor where the logistics company UPS operated: “The car park was covered on floor no. 1 and uncovered on floor no. 2, and only floor no. 2 burned. UPS was on the ground floor”, he explained. He added, “there may eventually be damage to some vehicles that did not burn, but which may be damaged by the heat released by the fire”. We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to, we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small. You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time. Send us your comments or opinion on this article. Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal, written in English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Turkish and Chinese. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Heavy rain fell on burn scar areas of the Serra da Estrela mountain range. The areas had seen intense forest fires during the summer and by late August the government declared a state of calamity downed trees and debris raced down hillsides around the village of Sameiro Images show damage to buildings and infrastructure At least 4 vehicles were dragged into the river Zêzere several vehicles were dragged by the force of the water there are houses and businesses that have been affected “At the moment we have no information about the injured but we are on the ground evaluating all the time The Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) issued warnings for severe weather from 11 September 2022 as Extratropical Cyclone Danielle was forecast to make its way across the Iberian Peninsula IPMA reported the city of Guarda recorded 83.7 m of rain in 24 hours on 13 September emergency teams carried out interventions for flooded buildings in Lomar e Arcos in Braga; Sacavém e Prior Velho in Lisbon and Castro Daire in Viseu Overall Portugal Civil Protection recorded more than 350 occurrences related to the bad weather mostly for wind damage and minor flooding in the districts of Lisbon and Setúbal Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList Subscribe to receive notifications of new posts: (()=>{var e=async t=>{await(await t())()};(self.Astro||(self.Astro={})).load=e;window.dispatchEvent(new Event("astro:load"));})();Q2 2023 Internet disruption summary2023-07-27 Cloudflare operates in more than 300 cities in over 100 countries where we interconnect with over 12,000 network providers in order to provide a broad range of services to millions of customers The breadth of both our network and our customer base provides us with a unique perspective on Internet resilience enabling us to observe the impact of Internet disruptions this post is intended as a summary overview of observed disruptions and is not an exhaustive or complete list of issues that have occurred during the quarter In the weeks prior to the start of this year’s shutdowns, it was reported that the Iraqi Ministry of Communications had announced it had refused a request from the Ministry of Education to impose an Internet shutdown during the exams as part of efforts to prevent cheating with shutdowns ultimately starting two weeks later The orange-highlighted areas in the graphs below show traffic on each network provider dropping to zero during the shutdowns Additional details about both sets of Internet shutdowns in Iraq can be found in our June 13 blog post: Exam-related Internet shutdowns in Iraq and Algeria put connectivity to the test The first disruption takes place between 08:00 - 12:00 local time (07:00 - 11:00 UTC) with the second occurring between 14:00 - 17:00 local time (13:00 - 16:00 UTC) the shutdowns on Sudatel Senegal occurred from 15:00 local time on June 3 through 01:00 local time on June 5 and then again from 13:00 local time on June 5 until 01:00 local time on June 6 The three shutdowns seen on Tigo/Free took place between 15:30 - 19:00 local time on June 3 from 13:45 local time on June 4 until 02:05 local time on June 5 and from 13:05 local time on June 5 through 01:00 local time on June 6 two mobile network providers within the country The ordered shutdown caused a complete loss of Internet traffic from these networks that started at 22:00 local time (17:00 UTC) on May 9 at Telenor and China Mobile Pakistan 18:00 local time (13:00 UTC) on Mobilink/Jazz and 01:00 local time on May 10 (20:00 UTC on May 9) at Ufone/PTML Traffic was restored at 22:00 local time (17:00 UTC) on May 12 Looking at Cloudflare Radar’s recently launched Internet Quality page for Pakistan during the duration of the shutdown we observed that median latency within Pakistan dropped slightly after mobile networks were shut down median latency (as observed to Cloudflare and a set of other providers) was in the 90-100ms range This may be a result of users shifting to lower latency fixed broadband connections – several fixed broadband providers in the country experienced increased traffic volumes while the mobile networks were unavailable Additional details about the mobile network shutdowns, content blocking, and the impact at an administrative unit and city level can be found in our May 12 blog post Cloudflare’s view of Internet disruptions in Pakistan with the suspension continually extended through additional templated orders issued every five days The graphs below show the impact of the ordered shutdown to traffic from two major network providers in Manipur. Traffic from both AS45609 (Airtel) and AS9829 (BSNL) fell significantly around 18:00 local time (12:30 UTC) on May 4 and continued to drop further through the end of June Traffic on BSNL showed slight signs of recovery starting in early June The shutdown order remains in place as of the time of this writing (late July) The graph below shows that as of the end of June traffic remained significantly below pre-storm levels with traffic volumes down as much as 80% as compared to the previous period “Our submarine cable partner confirms supplementing additional capacity The disruptions caused by the power outage also impacted connectivity quality within Portugal as the Radar Internet quality graphs below highlight – a concurrent drop in bandwidth and increase in latency is visible indicating that end users likely experienced poorer performance during that period of time A countrywide power outage in Botswana on May 19 caused an Internet disruption that lasted about 90 minutes, from 10:45 until 12:15 local time (08:45 - 10:15 UTC), visible in the graph below. A tweet from Botswana Power Corporation provided public notice of the incident On April 4, The Barbados Light & Power Company tweeted an “Outage Notice” stating “We are aware that our customers across the island are currently without electricity.” Posted at 11:46 local time (15:46 UTC) the notice comes shortly after a significant drop in traffic was observed country-wide indicating that the power outage also impacted Internet connectivity across the country After posting several additional updates throughout the day a final update posted at 18:00 local time (22:00 UTC) indicated that power had been restored to 100% of impacted customers The graph below shows that traffic took several additional hours to return to normal levels (Note that the orange highlighting in the graph represents the duration of the disruption and the red shading is related to an internal data collection issue.) A seven-hour Internet disruption observed in Namibia on June 15 and 16 was caused by unspecified “technical challenges” faced by Telecom Namibia. According to a tweet from the provider “Telecom Namibia experienced technical challenges on its fixed and mobile data services on Thursday leading to intermittent Internet connectivity.” The impact of these challenges is visible in both the country- and network-level traffic graphs below The loss of mobile traffic from Our Telekom also impacted traffic at a country level as the graph shows a similar disruption for the Solomon Islands the problem was “Caused by expired ground station cert” (an expired digital certificate associated with one or more Starlink ground stations likely preventing communication between the satellite constellation and the ground station(s)) In Madagascar, a “problem with the backbone”, reported by Telma Madagascar, caused a loss of as much as two-thirds of Internet traffic between 09:15 - 14:00 local time (06:15 - 11:00 UTC) on April 7. The graphs below show that the backbone issue disrupted traffic at a national level, as well as for AS37054 (Telma Madagascar) On April 4, UK Internet provider Virgin Media suffered multiple service disruptions that impacted Internet connectivity for broadband customers The first outage started just before 01:00 local time (midnight UTC)l lasting until approximately 09:00 local time (08:00 UTC) The second outage started around 16:00 local time (15:00 UTC) with traffic volumes going up and down over the next several hours before appearing to stabilize around 21:30 local time (20:30 UTC) We apologise for any inconvenience caused.” However, the second disruption was acknowledged on Virgin Media’s Twitter account much more rapidly, with a post at 16:25 UTC stating “Unfortunately we have seen a repeat of an earlier issue which is causing intermittent broadband connectivity problems for some Virgin Media customers our teams are continuing to work flat out to find the root cause of the problem and fix it.” Although no additional details have been shared via social media by Virgin Media about the outages or their resolution, some additional information was shared via Twitter by an apparent customer who posted “Virgin Media engineers re-seated fibre cards and reset hub equipment to restore service TTL was extended as a workaround to maintain stability whilst a permanent fix is implemented.” Additional details about the Virgin Media outage can be found in our April 4 blog post: Cloudflare’s view of the Virgin Media outage in the UK reportedly carried out by Ukrainian hacktivists with the latter experiencing Internet service disruptions amid clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) As noted above, military action in Sudan disrupted Internet connectivity in Chad in April. Starting in mid-April, multiple Internet outages were observed at major Sudanese Internet providers, three of which are shown in the graphs below. The fighting in the country has led to fuel shortages and power cuts ultimately disrupting Internet connectivity After seeing a significant drop in traffic midday on April 19 a near complete outage is visible between 12:00 on April 21 and 01:00 on April 29 (10:00 on April 21 to 23:00 on April 28 UTC) with a very brief minor recovery late in the day on April 24 A longer duration outage began around 00:00 local time on May 11 (22:00 on May 10 UTC) Additional details about the Internet disruptions in Sudan can be found in our May 2 blog post: Effects of the conflict in Sudan on Internet patterns The graph below for AS36924 (GVA-Canalbox) shows three overlapping outage annotations with each related to a disruption observed on that autonomous system (network) in one of the impacted countries a significant traffic disruption is visible between 16:15 - 23:15 local time (15:15 - 22:15 UTC) the disruption happened earlier and was less severe taking place between 09:15 - 18:00 local time (09:15 - 18:00 UTC) where traffic was disrupted between 11:00 - 23:15 local time (11:00 - 23:15 UTC) and governments themselves to understand the potential cost of an Internet shutdown from gross domestic product (GDP) A massive power outage struck significant portions of Portugal and Spain at 10:34 UTC on April 28 disrupting everyday activities and services... Cloudflare blocked +20M attacks (a 358% YoY spike) along with 5.6 Tbps and 4.8 Bpps record-breaking attacks... we observed Internet disruptions around the world caused by cable damage including R2 object storage experienced an elevated rate of error responses Copyright © techoraco and its affiliated companies 2025 neutral alternative for the interconnection of national and international networks in Portugal Altice LdV forms part of a campus that spans 11,000 square metres and consists of a 3,000 square meter building The building repurposes existing infrastructure and the new space is powered by 100% renewable energy one of the first telecoms centres of the former Marconi redundancy and security required for critical infrastructure the selection of Linda-a-Velha as the location of the new international network interconnection centre was also due to its proximity to relevant international infrastructure Seixal and Sesimbra cable landing stations the Alfouvar Satellite Centre and the Prior Velho Data Centre Altice LdV also benefits from being in the Lisbon metropolitan area and has the potential to act as a node in Altice's international network Launched with an investment of more than €3 million Altice LdV will house international telecoms networks taking advantage of its interconnection links between the facility and the mooring stations of subsea cables long-distance land networks and other data centres a mobile and fixed telecoms service provider and subsidiary of Altice Portugal along with the Champalimaud Foundation and BMD Software launched a cloud infrastructure project for health data research The project will see the creation of a standardised system of interoperability and cloud storage of patients' clinical data It will develop a health data storage system with digital connection to the Champalimaud Foundation's clinical systems You have reached the limit for gifting for this month It's not only at Ikea that you'll find good prices on furniture and decorative pieces In Lisbon there are a variety of stores and associations where you can find real bargains Second-hand stores are commercial establishments that sell used products offering a sustainable alternative for people looking to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry and other areas These stores allow you to buy used items such as clothes furniture and electronic equipment at more affordable prices compared to new products you’re contributing to the circular economy and reducing waste it is often in these second-hand stores and associations that the best deals are found with real bargains on anything and everything Keep an eye out for the names of these second-hand stores It’s not a store in the true sense of the word but there’s no doubt that it’ s one of the places where you can find the best bargains even if you can’t do it every day: only on Tuesdays and Saturdays And you can also find furniture at the Feira da Ladra although you probably won’t find beds but tables and chairs and decorative objects you certainly will Address: Campo de Santa ClaraOpening hours: Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9am to 6pm This is perhaps the best-known place in Lisbon for selling stylish in a three-storey building covering 9,000 square meters Here you’ll find furniture from the 1920s to the 1970s among many other decorative pieces that will certainly look good in that corner of your home Armazém 6 (Prior Velho)Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday We collect everything that can be used.” You’ll find a bit of everything: clothes Address: There are several stores throughout the city Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm; Saturdays from 9am to 3pm We know there’s no furniture at Cash Converters but if you’re looking for low-cost appliances or small gadgets for your home that areguaranteed to work Address: there are four stores in Lisbon Opening hours: Monday to Saturday but we guarantee it’ ll be worth it Be prepared for the fact that you won’t be able to see everything Go with a lot of patience and a desire to explore old furniture And now there’s a new pop-up store, Emaus in Arroios may well have what you’re looking for Address: Estrada Lugar D’Além 16 (Caneças); Rua Carlos Mardel 23 (Arroios)Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday it’s a warehouse but with closed doors it’ s best to check out the online catalog ask for more information and make an appointment Only then will you be able to see all the items (and there are many) they sell Make your request to visit Feira do Mundo by emailing feiradomundo@feiradomundo.com from Monday to Sunday It’s on Avenida Almirante Reis, and although it’s mainly a second-hand clothes store you’ll also find various objects and accessories See the mugs with fruit on them in the photo below I grew up in my parents’ house with some of these pieces Address: Avenida Almirante Reis 238A Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday This store specializes in reconditioned furniture with minor aesthetic defects but with excellent value for money for those looking for sustainability The difference between reconditioned and second-hand products is that the former don’t come from other homes Address: online only Opening hours: Monday to Thursday This service resells used or discontinued IKEA furniture and is one of the most practical solutions for finding modern second-hand pieces with a quality guarantee The idea is to reserve your favorite furniture in the online store and then collect it from the IKEA store in Loures Address: online only Hours: every day This vintage store is right in the middle of Avenidas Novas and presents itself as a place dedicated to buying and selling vintage objects Address: Rua da Estefânia 33BOpening hours: Monday to Saturday it’ s always best to keep an eye out for garbage in the street There are many people who put good furniture on the sidewalks to be picked up you’ re sure to find some great relics Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email The 88 defendants in the Hells Angels process are now being tried in Camarate (Loures) According to one of the lawyers linked to the case from the Central Court of Criminal Instruction (TCIC) decided to pronounce all the defendants "in the exact terms of the indictment" and placed more than 50 under house arrest Carlos Alexandre's pronouncement order has more than a thousand pages and in one of the passages of the order "this set of elements thus grouped is not a simple recreational motorbike club but a group of people who organize themselves (...) in paramilitary ways or similar to the mode of action of a militia" The judge also considers that all elements that make up the 'biker' group are "in absolute consonance hierarchical and imbued with obedience to the statutes (of the biker club) and the obligations arising from it" regardless of "any side where they are located " This last consideration by the judge is related to the fact that one of the defendants alleges that he was in Luxembourg at the time of the criminal acts (aggression) that occurred in the Prior Velho area In the allegations of the preliminary debate the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) asked for the trial of all the defendants arguing that they all committed the crimes listed in the indictment documents seized from the group as evidence and the testimony of witnesses and defendants the attack perpetrated by the defendants and members of the Hells Angels group in the restaurant Mesa do Prior as well as the persecution carried out by them against Mário Machado leader of the extreme right wing movement who belonged to a rival 'biker' group The prosecutor then gave as proven the other crimes included in the indictment including extortion and possession of prohibited weapons The prosecution of the MP considered that those members of the 'biker' group Hells Angels devised a plan to annihilate a rival group using physical force and various weapons to cause them serious injuries We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time In some areas Portugal is really advanced in other basic elements this country is behind many 3rd world countries in this case its well know that bikie groups are criminals its proven by the number of them in jails world wide but in this country see how other countries outlaw these gangs compared to Portugal outlaw motorcycle gangs are considered a national threat and a national policing priority in 17 EU Member States and six Europol partner states And of course they are legal - and problematic - in the US and elsewhere So it's hard to see how Portugal is lagging in this respect Send us your comments or opinion on this article Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal North American Equinix intends to install a third data center in the Lisbon area, according to a report from ECO.  but the calendar is “flexible” because the company is still completing the construction of its second data center in Portugal According to the managing director of Equinix Portugal, Carlos Paulino, the construction of Equinix's second data center in the country representing an investment that will amount to 100 million euros if “all phases” are taken into account Equinix Portugal planned to open this new infrastructure in the first quarter of 2025 pointing out that this center will be ready for service in June of this year “We started our operation in Lisbon in the year 2000 “The truth is that we have the complete building so in 2018 we decided to start construction on the building next door When asked about the expected value of this new data center Carlos Paulino says that the company does not yet have “an estimated value” The news of Equinix's third data center in Lisbon comes at a time when the country is trying to position itself to attract more investment in data centers The country is seen as attractive for the installation of data centers due to the availability of land for construction access to submarine cables that cross oceans and connect continents the availability of renewable energy at affordable prices and the low propensity for extreme weather phenomena The demand for this type of infrastructure has increased data traffic increases and the penetration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in society which require very high computing capacities American companies aren't welcome until Trump is a distant memory a commodity that can be pretty scarce on days weeks or even months during the summer season in Portugal Best solution would be not building data centres especially not with Trump in place as it could become a tool for power play Mongabay contributor Gustavo Faleiros and filmmaker Marcio Isensee e Sá visited the unique biodiverse Amazon forests found on the divide between the Purus and Madeira river basins where a decades-delayed plan to improve the BR-319 highway is gaining momentum one could mistake this for a peaceful country town in the heart of the Amazon Humaitá is a hotspot of environmental conflict in Brazil today The municipality is an important outpost of economic growth in Amazonas state sitting at the intersection of two important roads: the Transamazon highway (BR-230) still unpaved but promised with major improvements by the federal government have become the engines driving the local economy – and also driving major deforestation An indication of that conflict: our tranquil time in Humaitá last August was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a long convoy of vehicles from IBAMA – Brazil’s chief environmental enforcement agency – speeding down the street We called IBAMA headquarters in Brasilia; they confirmed an operation underway to curb deforestation in the area but the national coordinators were reticent we ended up staying in the same Humaitá hotel as the IBAMA agents during breakfast we approached them and they spoke with us wearing bullet-proof jackets and carrying guns told us that illegal deforestation was out of control along the Transamazon highway with huge swathes of forest cut down and burned They also complained of lacking sufficient operatives to stop the advance of destruction None of the agents agreed to be identified angry Humaitá residents – many likely employed in the gold mining industry – marched on the local IBAMA office and burned it down The trigger for the mob action had been a joint operation between IBAMA and the army arresting illegal gold miners and destroying their equipment but both IBAMA and ICMbio (Brazil’s national park service) had to abandon Humaitá as a base the officers only go there during special interventions like the one we witnessed Instead of following the agents out of town and driving east from Humaitá on the BR-230 we drove north on the still unpaved BR-319 The question for which we were seeking an answer: how long will it take for the pattern of intense deforestation – now common in the southern part of Amazonas state – to move north along the road and impact still intact parts of the Amazon rainforest in the Purus-Madeira basin a former manager of an Amazonas state Conservation Unit and now an environmental activist working to stop deforestation in the region She talked with us for almost three hours in urgent tones alerting us to a conservation emergency she describes colorfully as “a dragon with an open mouth going up the road and destroying everything on its way.” Ferreira said that the arrival of growing numbers of loggers ranchers and other “pioneers” has intensified over the past four years They are starting to “colonize” the region With the once neglected road now receiving more regular maintenance a process that helped initiate the influx of migrants converting forests into pastures and bringing herds of beef cattle “What I can say concerning my own experience is that every five years the destructive [forest] activities move [another] 100 kilometers [62 miles] north.” The article called “BR-319: Brazil’s Manaus Porto Velho Highway and the potential impact of linking the arc of deforestation to central Amazonia” notes in part that “Discourse regarding the highway systematically overestimates the highway’s benefits and underestimates its impacts A variety of changes would be needed prior to paving the highway if these potential [environmental] impacts are to be attenuated.” Besides the creation of protected areas – something which has happened – the researchers said that “more fundamental changes are also needed.” In their view the land claims and forest clearance by smallholders and grileiros (land grabbers) along the BR-319 need to be avoided the Brazilian government would need to end its practice of routinely legalizing these occupations which fuel large-scale deforestation The road takes advantage of very slightly higher ground running atop the slight but ancient geological uplift of the Purus-Madeira interfluvial plain This is a biodiverse boundary zone between two  river basin watersheds where many species mingle and mate – a place that offers habitat for 165 mammal species (more than 80 of them being bats) In southern Amazonas the forests are now similarly disappearing Amazonas – the largest state in the Brazilian Amazon – was perceived as relatively safe from rampant deforestation by conservationists no major extractive industry was active there and roughly 90 percent of the state remains covered by thick vegetation Rondônia’s only major remaining forests now lay within protected areas or indigenous reserves Forest devastation started there during the period of the Brazilian military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985 when the government offered land freely to families willing to immigrate there from southern states Today, in southern Amazonas, widespread deforestation is trending, especially in the municipalities of Lábrea and Apuí, both on the Transamazon highway (BR-230). These two towns are on the list of the ten municipalities with the highest deforestation rates in the Amazon in the last five years Now researchers and forest defenders fear worse: that Amazonas state will suffer a total “rondonization,” following the rapid deforestation pattern of its neighbor it is the rate of forest cutting that astonishes conservationists Amazonas saw the highest rate of deforestation increase in the entire Amazon region: with a 59 percent increase compared to the previous period (2015/2016) Although there was an 11 percent reduction in deforestation in 2016/2017 the total tree loss has still been twice as great as what occurred in 2014/2015 Analysts commonly blame this escalating deforestation rate on illegal logging and grazing facilitated by the ready access that the junction of the BR-230 and BR-319 provide in the south of Amazonas That appears especially to be the case in the district of Santo Antônio do Matupi also known as the Cento-e-Oitenta because it is located 180 kilometers (112 miles)  east of Humaitá squatters and other opportunists flow out of Santo Antônio do Matupi and move into the forests on either side of the BR-319 cutting side roads and seeking their fortunes Just before leaving Porto Velho and heading north out of Rondônia and into Amazonas on our journey along the BR-319 an NGO that for 26 years has been the most active voice for forest conservation and indigenous rights in the state of Rondônia She was very pessimistic in her predictions for the future of Amazonas: “Eventually paving the BR-319 will definitely benefit local businessmen with cattle ranchers who occupy new lands becoming the big winners; and with forests and biodiversity being the big losers Most locals are not unhappy about this prospect Amazonas is among the poorest states in Brazil One place this was especially true was Realidade a village of 7,000 residents where the economy currently depends on logging for its vitality attracted by the possibility of a job and fleeing the negative changes he’d experienced while living farther south near the junction of the BR-230 and BR-319 economic activity fell off after a series of raids by IBAMA that shut down illegal logging and caused local sawmills to close “My mother and brother worked at the sawmill hopes have only grown brighter along the BR-319 since the turn of the new century as the federal government has made new transportation infrastructure investment pledges President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2003) had been the first to include money in the federal budget under his Avança Brasil program to upgrade and pave existing Amazon roads that had originally been built by the military in the 1970s it was President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2011) who created optimal conditions for investment in transportation infrastructure Improving the condition of federal roads in the rainforest became a priority of his government environmentalists pushed Lula’s administration to allow conservationists to participate in infrastructure planning because they feared the widespread forest fragmentation and forest loss caused by the construction of the Transamazon highway the building of the main road led to the construction of hundreds of unofficial auxiliary roads – the so-called fishbone deforestation pattern seen from satellites gained a voice in the planning process and managed to implement large-scale protective measures 15 million hectares (57,915 square miles) between the Purus and Madeira rivers were designated areas of “special attention” by the government during the environmental licensing process for the BR-319 fitting under a variety of federal and state conservation categories including national parks and sustainable development reserves these conservation measures were not entirely effective The long period required to generate and review the highway’s environmental impact assessment resulted in a lot of public pressure in favor of improved road maintenance especially congressional representatives from Rondônia and Amazonas constantly spoke out and criticized IBAMA for delaying the laying down of asphalt the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT) requested a license to undertake work to improve the bridges and drainage along BR-319 These enhancements put the highway in its best shape in 20 years and for the first time ever travelers could drive the road without great difficulty in both the dry and rainy seasons it is this easy access that fuels rapid deforestation and two engineering companies are currently at work continuously along parts of the BR-319 fearing that it could be misconstrued as a fait accompli and a mandate for full paving of the highway – a goal still not approved IBAMA renewed the maintenance license in May 2017 DNIT is preparing a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the paving of the entire highway The EIA will be presented to IBAMA in the first quarter of 2019 says DNIT environmental manager Angela Parente As the tenure of President Michel Temer winds down and Jair Bolsonaro prepares to take office in January the issues surrounding the BR-319 have now gotten more complicated has defended the use of an emergency license to proceed with work on the highway the Bolsonaro administration is promising major changes to governance that could greatly affect the BR-319 including the fast tracking of both infrastructure project licensing and environmental impact assessments along with a significant boost in infrastructure spending what conservationists want to know is how Bolsonaro’s development program will avoid the old pitfalls: with new paving comes new illegal land occupation and land clearing How will that deforestation be avoided as the paving of the BR-319 drives north deeper into some of the most pristine rainforest remaining in the Brazilian Amazon FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen Motorcyclist may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site Copyright © 2025 Motorcyclist. An Octane Media, LLC Publication Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited to rent Renegade model vehicles equipped with tents installed on the roof Hertz reinforces the expansion of this service with a new network and public access point in Funchal announces a statement sent to the editorial staff The Hertz Funchal store (Hotel Vila Baleira – Estrada Monumental 274 9000-100 Funchal) now offers this service aimed at all lovers of adventure and contact with nature presenting itself as “the ideal solution for those looking for an experience unforgettable allowing you to disconnect from routines and wake up with a privileged view “Hertz thus reinforces the expansion of this service which is already available at Hertz stores in Prior Velho (Lisbon) now extending the Campers concept of travel and discovery to Madeira of our country” Campers promotes itself as “an idea for a unique summer vacation and a value-added experience with family or friends” and “the ideal solution for those who want a special holiday in contact with nature visiting the best beaches for the ultimate surfing experience or set out to discover the best trails in Portugal.” All reservations can be made online, through the website Hertz.pt in the area dedicated to Campers  From Jornal Madeira A really lovely idea but that is so NOT my kind of holiday On Madeira there are very few official camp sites As far as I know “Wild” camping is not permitted Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email Caterpillar announced it has been selected to supply generator power to Principle Power The grid-connected floating structure supports a Vestas V80-2.0 MW turbine with an Olympian™ GEP 88-4 generator set for standby power The deal was handled by Cat® dealer Barloworld STET The project is being carried out by WindPlus a joint-venture company led by Portuguese energy group EDP Using pioneering technology for floating wind power generation units the project is being tested five kilometers (three miles) offshore near the northern town of Povoa do Varzim wind and the waves will both be affecting the platform at any one time The Olympian generator set was used during offshore transport and for standby power following installation the Olympian generator sets were selected because of their proven reliability and because of the company’s relationship with STET “Our Cat dealer helped us design a solution that would stand up to the harsh conditions of the marine environment,” said Craig Andrus of Principle Power “We also had a critical delivery schedule that had to be met and knew our Cat dealer would achieve it.” The innovative features of the WindFloat dampen wave and turbine induced motion enabling wind turbines to be sited in previously inaccessible locations where water depth exceeds 50 meters (165 feet) economic efficiency is maximizedby reducing the need for offshore heavy lift operations during final assembly Principle Power reports that many similar projects are in development for the installation of commercial WindFloat units at European and U.S Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox renewable energy is key to the future of our planet we have over 60 years’ experience and an in-depth understanding of the power and temperature control needs of wind farms We have a dedicated Wind Energy Team whose innovative strategies […] Brentford and Sevilla ‘remain vigilant’ to the situation around Ricardo Velho and whether there’s a chance to make a move for the 26-year-old That’s according to Thursday’s edition of Record which covers Sporting CP’s efforts to sign a new goalkeeper before the end of the January window Sporting’s priority is Real Betis’ Rui Silva and that’s where they’re currently making the most effort The Portuguese club have offered Betis a loan deal with a purchase option set at €3m Betis are asking for the purchase option to be set at €5m Another option for Sporting is Ricardo Velho and that’s where Brentford and Sevilla come in Farense turned down a €6m offer in the summer for the goalkeeper but it’s unclear how much they’d want now Velho has a €15m release clause in his Farense contract although it’s not thought that a club will have to match that to get a deal done Brentford and Sevilla are presented as waiting to see what happens Watford have been repeatedly linked with Velho over the past year but there’s no Hornets mention in this report