The Amazon rainforest is one of the most important ecosystems on the planet, considered the “lungs of the world”.
News Colombia.
The Amazon River, approximately 7,100 kilometers long, is the second longest in the world and the largest. This colossus crosses South America from the Peruvian Andes to the Brazilian Atlantic, also passing through Colombia. Despite its ecological and cultural importance, it is striking that there is not a single bridge that crosses this river in its entirety. But what factors explain this notable absence?
The Amazon flows through one of the most extensive and dense rainforests on the planet. The region receives one of the highest amounts of annual precipitation in the world, causing the river to regularly overflow its banks and change shape. During the rainy season, the Amazon can expand from 1 or 10 kilometers to an impressive 50 kilometers wide in some areas.
The terrain around the river is predominantly swampy and soft.making it difficult to build stable foundations for bridges.
Besides, The discovery of the Hamza River, an underground river that flows beneath the Amazon, adds a level of complexity, as soil stability in this region is especially fragile.
Low population density and lack of infrastructure in the Amazon
Although around 30 million people live in the Amazon basin, most of these communities are dispersed in small isolated settlements.
There are no large urban centers that justify the need to build bridges or highways to connect one side of the river to the other. Instead, local populations rely on river transport such as boats and ferries, or, in specific cases, airplanes.
Likewise, the region lacks a major road network that reaches the river. This means that even if a bridge were built, there would likely be no major roads connecting it to other relevant infrastructure.
Astronomical costs
Building a bridge over the Amazon would require a massive investment due to its size, variable width and terrain conditions.. Additionally, constant rains and extreme humidity would increase maintenance costs.
From an economic point of view, it is not profitable to build such an infrastructure in a region with low population density and little land traffic.
The Amazon rainforest is one of the most important ecosystems on the planet, considered the “lungs of the world”.
@questionfacts_t Why is there no bridge crossing the Amazon River? #questionfacts #amazon ♬ original sound – Question Facts
Building bridges would involve significant deforestation to establish roads and access, which could cause irreversible damage to the ecosystem.
Furthermore, habitat disturbance could seriously affect local biodiversity.
Historically, the communities that live in the Amazon basin have developed an intimate relationship with the river. Boats are the traditional and main means of transportation for these populations. The absence of bridges does not represent a limitation for them, but rather reflects an adaptation to the unique conditions of their environment.
The lack of bridges over the Amazon River is not a simple coincidence, but the result of a combination of factors geographic, economic, social and ecological.
You can also see:
