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Michigan State University Researcher Emilio Moran to host conference on hydropower impacts in the Brazilian Amazon

October 28, 2025 - Diane Huhn

Fishermen inspect their catch in the community of Vila Nova, Brazil. The small town lies downstream from the Belo Monte Hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon
Fishermen inspect their catch in the community of Vila Nova, Brazil. The small town lies downstream from the Belo Monte Hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon. Construction of the dam has brought negative socioeconomic and environmental impacts for the local fishers. Photo credit: Laura Castro-Diaz 

moran-emilio-profile.jpgDr. Emilio Moran, a John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, is organizing a two-day international conference in Brazil to present findings from a decade of hydropower research in the Amazon. 

The event, titled “After the Dams: Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts in the Brazilian Amazon,” will take place October 30–31, 2025. 

Over the past ten years, Dr. Moran and his interdisciplinary team—comprising more than twenty researchers—have examined the far-reaching consequences of major hydroelectric projects, including the Belo Monte (Pará), Jirau, and Santo Antônio (Rondônia) dams. Their studies highlight how these developments have reshaped local economies, communities, and ecosystems. 

The conference will focus on alternatives and challenges for energy generation in Brazil in the context of climate change. Sessions will explore the effects of large dams on fisheries, livelihoods, and the environment, and will consider pathways toward sustainable energy solutions for Brazil’s future. 

The conference will be held in person and livestreamed via the official IEE/USP YouTube channel. Please note that the seminar will be conducted in Portuguese. Additional details, including the conference schedule, are available on the IEE USP website.  

To learn more about this research, watch The Forgotten: Sustainable Clean Energy for the Brazilian Amazon, a documentary short following Dr. Moran’s collaboration with Brazilian universities to develop renewable energy solutions in the region. You can also listen to a 2020 interview with Dr. Moran on the MSU Today with Russ White podcast. 

 

Conference Details 

Event: After the Dams: Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts in the Brazilian Amazon  

Dates: October 30–31, 2025 

Time: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Eastern Time) 

Instagram: @hidreletricasnaamazonia 

More information: spec@unicamp.br 

Livestream: youtube.com/institutodeenergiaeambienteusp