Brazil is set to host COP30 with the summit taking over the Amazonian city of Belem in November. Although the so called ''People's COP'' is eagerly awaited by environmentalists, sky high costs for hotel rooms and entrepreneurial residents are putting a tight squeeze on accommodation needed for the expected 45,000 visitors. - REUTERS
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00:00With COP30 on the horizon, Brazil's government is racing to multiply the 18,000 beds available
00:07in the host city of Belém.
00:10Deemed the so-called People's COP, sky-high accommodation costs are threatening the country's
00:15stated goal of inclusion for the United Nations Climate Summit.
00:19Brazil's special secretary for COP30 said the government expects around 45,000 people
00:25to attend.
00:26They have already moved the days when heads of state will attend to one week before the
00:31main event to lower the pressure on housing in Belém.
00:35But entrepreneurs like Johan Costa are figuring out creative ways to take in the flood of
00:40visitors.
00:41Costa believes he can turn his love hotel into a more accommodating space.
00:46This here is the erotic chair.
00:49We have to take it out so as not to scare away the people who are going to come and
00:53stay here.
00:54This is the kind of thing we are going to remove to adapt the motel to the COP.
01:00City and state officials are also encouraging residents to travel and rent out their homes.
01:06Some are taking full advantage.
01:08Ads to rent some apartments and homes are charging hundreds of thousands of dollars.
01:13Valmeiro Costa owns three homes in the city and plans to make them all available for the
01:18summit.
01:19Belém, a city of 1.3 million, has become a huge construction site.
01:24The Brazilian government has poured around $1 billion into building work there.
01:29However, not all are happy with the economic boom.
01:32Açai farmer Marivaldo Santos Chagas is concerned about road construction impacting his piece.
01:40Many also remain sceptical that the work will be enough to provide the infrastructure needed
01:45to move people around and host the many planned events.