Amazon road network expands 618,000 km, driving deforestation and land conflicts

New analysis reveals 618,000 km of official and clandestine roads in the Brazilian Amazon, with nearly 42,000 km inside protected areas. Agriculture around conservation units, indigenous lands, and quilombola territories grew 561% over 41 years, indicating accelerating encroachment. The scale of clandestine roads suggests systematic illegal occupation, raising concerns for environmental security and indigenous rights.