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Porto Velho and surroundings

The image of Porto Velho and its surroundings is a multitemporal image composed of 3 satellite passes (1993, 1997 and 1998). The white points are buildings already present in 1993, yellow/green points are houses built between 1993 and 1997, and red dots indicate constructions erected between October 1997 and October 1998. Because most of the roofs in the town are made of metal, they are seen quite clearly on the radar image. In contrast, traditional houses made with wooden roofs would not be so visible on a radar image. The Madeira River appears green/yellowish because of the stronger winds or currents in October 1997 and 1998, with respect to 1993.

Download here a larger version of the image of Porto Velho and surroundings (4.2 Mb)

Because of the coloured points in and around the city, this image tells us something about the slowing down of urban development between 1993 and 1998. In fact, we can spot many yellow/green points (constructions 1993-1997) but relatively few red points (constructions 1997-1998). This contrastsg with the strongly increased deforestation in the vicinity of the town.

	Francisco Paolo do Santos

In a humble place in the middle of the rainforest, Francisco Paolo do Santos has cut down the trees to grow his modest crops. He does not think of the consequences of the disappearance of the rainforest. To him, it is simply a matter of survival.

Francisco Paolo do Santos, who is 72 years old, is a satisfied man.

On a small lot in the margin of the Amazon rain forest, Francisco, together with otherfarmers, have cut down hundreds of trees. Now most of the large trunks are lying on the ground. Some of them lie as charred pieces of wood, while others are just lying where they fell. A few trees are still standing in the burning sun.

Here on this small lot Francisco Paolo do Santos is growing his crops together with other farmers. Scattered between the cut trees, a little rice, a couple of banana plants, a little pineapple, some chili pepper plants, and a single tapioca plant. These are not plants that give a large yield – but they're enough for him and his family to survive.

“I know that it is illegal to cut down the trees, and quite frankly I like the forest. I like to walk around in it. It is beautiful and cool. But I have to cut the trees to survive,” Francisco Paolo do Santos explains.

Like many of the inhabitants of Rondonia in the western part of Brazil, Francisco came to the area in the middle of the 1980s looking for a future. Lured by money from big gold finds. But it never ended with prosperity. So now that many mines have closed down, he has to support his family with simple agriculture.


The daily meal

Francisco Paolo do Santos does not think that by cutting down the trees he might contribute to the disapearance of a large part of the flora and fauna of the world. Or that cutting trees might induce climate change both locally and globally because trees accumulate water and transform enormous amounts of greenhouse gases that are thought to contribute to global warming. For Francisco, it is only a matter of supporting his family.

"There is no longer any future for me on the East coast where I come from. Here in the rainforest I have better opportunities, and here I am happy", he explains.

The small man without a shirt and unbuttoned trousers is glad to talk about the living conditions of himself and his family of six children and row of grandchildren. They live in small and humble huts built by available material, such as leaves from banana trees, and plastic. The water supply comes from a deep well, and their meals are cooked over an open fire.

Rondonia is one of the areas in the world that has recently been most affected by deforestation. On satellite images, it is possible to see the disappearance of the forest from year to year.
 
 

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