Two cruise ships are bobbing quietly in the specially expanded port near the city of Belem in northern Brazil on the edge of the Amazon. They will serve as alternative accommodation for more than 10,000 participants at this year’s climate conference.

Between 40,000 and 50,000 people, including heads of state and government from almost 200 countries, are expected to attend the 30th UN Climate Change Conference, COP30, to discuss measures for greater climate protection.

From converted strip clubs to multi-story steamboats, Belem had to get creative with accommodation due to a lack of available rooms and high prices.

Belem is a symbolic choice of location for the summit due to its proximity to the Amazon, a region that is vital for both the regional and global climate — even as forest fires, droughts, and changing rainy seasons take their toll — and where local communities are on the frontline of a deforestation crisis.

The region is also one of the poorest in Brazil. Extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to rising temperatures associated with the burning of oil, gas and coal, have bigger impacts on low-income communities in the country, but also worldwide.

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