Amazonian Gateway: Maritime River Ports and Territorial Conflict in Medium-Size Amazonian Cities

¹ ENSA Paris La-Villette, Laboratoire AMP, 75019 Paris, France
² Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, ED Abbé-Grégoire, 75003 Paris, France
³ University of São Paulo, FAU-USP, LabProj, São Paulo, Brésil

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This paper examines the territorial transformations and conflicts associated with the expansion of maritime river ports in the Brazilian Amazon, focusing on two medium-size cities: Barcarena and Itacoatiara. Situated within the "Amazonian Arc", these cities have become strategic nodes in the export of bulk commodities, particularly soybeans, minerals and oil, reflecting Brazil's growing integration into global supply chains.

The study combines a municipal-scale time-space analysis of land cover and land use (LCLU) data from MapBiomas (1985-2024) with a multi-scalar spatial analysis of port infrastructures and their urban environments. This approach is complemented by documentary research on port concessions and planning frameworks.

Results reveal a significant expansion of urban and industrial land in both cases, accompanied by increasing pressure on forested and hydrologically sensitive areas. While Barcarena exhibits a highly integrated industrial-port configuration, Itacoatiara reflects a more enclave-based logistical model. In both contexts, port development is associated with emerging socio-environmental conflicts and growing exposure to environmental risks. Interpreting these dynamics through the lens of planetary urbanisation, the paper shows that Amazonian river ports operate as key infrastructures of global commodity circulation, reshaping urbanisation patterns beyond metropolitan centres and contributing to new forms of territorial reconfiguration in tropical fluvial environments.