Mining Disasters in Brazil

Abstract

The ruptures of two iron ore dams in two municipalities of southeastern Brazil have caused immeasurable economic, social, and environmental damages. This case report describes the ruptures of Mariana dam in 2015 and the Brumadinho dam in 2019, as well as their causes and consequences. The companies responsible for managing the dams are Mineradora Samarco and Vale S.A. We analyze the “Risk and Disaster Communication” activities implemented by those companies. Moreover, it was difficult to access information about the affected communities, as the responsible companies failed to communicate throughout the incidents. As a result of this lack of communication and searching for answers and strategies to ensure a space capable of expanding access to information in an updated and reliable way for the population of the affected territories, we developed the Disaster Information Monitoring System (SIGDesastre). We think that by mapping communication devices and concentrating them in a virtual space it is possible to elicit nonhegemonic discourse, creating new knowledge and contributing to improvements in the risk communication process.