Workers from Pará build the legacy of COP30 for Belém
The progress of the works relies on the dedication of nearly five thousand women and men who are working on the new urbanization of the capital of Pará
At 52 years old, bricklayer Afonso Barbosa looks proudly at Blocks 1 and 2 of the New Doca, where he has been working in Belém. He has been in the construction industry since he was young and had the opportunity to leave the informal sector with the project executed by the state government and is proud to contribute to the positive change of the capital of Pará.
“I have always worked on projects located near Doca and I can say that I am happy to be building this New Doca. Not to mention that everything has gotten even better, my salary has increased, I earn overtime, and I have meal tickets. My life has improved a lot, I am happy. I feel proud to be part of this team, this work will remain for Brazil and the world to see,” says the worker.
Afonso is one of the 5,000 workers involved in more than 30 projects that the Government of Pará is carrying out to modernize and improve the infrastructure of Belém. These are projects that guarantee jobs and income for the people of Pará, contributing to the state’s economic development.
The New Doca project includes the planting of 180 trees and also small lakes with the "wetland" or "filter garden" system, with plants that absorb impurities from the canal water and return it in the form of oxygen. More than 520 people are working to deliver this fully revitalized and structured space to be a new leisure point for families in Belém.
The feeling of satisfaction among the professionals involved is evident. They carry in their eyes and words the value of the mission entrusted to them and being part of something grand for Belém. "As a bricklayer, I feel honored. I make a point of showing my family the progress of the work here, how it will look. I want to bring my children to show them the work their father helped to do," comments Afonso.
Those who work on the front lines of the construction live the process of requalifying urban spaces, which will benefit the entire Metropolitan Region of Belém. The workers report feelings of joy and the importance of being part of a project that marks their lives and the entire city.
In another part of Belém, at the City Park, the main space where the UN Climate Conference will take place, civil engineer Joellen Cruz, 26, does not hide her enthusiasm for being part of the team working on the project. She is one of the representatives of the female workforce leading the execution of the COP30 works. "I am here today, making history by participating in a project that is the largest urban intervention in the city of Belém in 100 years," she considers.
The project is being built on an area of 500,000 m², where an old aviation facility used to operate. The City Park will have facilities aimed at promoting quality of life, leisure, culture, art, and well-being. A native of Belém, Joellen Cruz graduated from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).
"This is a professional achievement that represents a significant step in my career, and I face it with wisdom. The City Park is the realization of dreams for the entire population of Belém. We are further structuring our city, and this is gratifying, this is an honor. I am grateful to be part of this generation of professionals who are leading this project," says the engineer.
