Deep into the mud : ecological and socio-economic impacts of the dam breach in Mariana, Brazil.
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2016
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We review the ecological and socio-economic impacts ofthe catastrophic dam failure in Mariana,
Brazil. Tailing management practices by Samarco mining company ultimately caused
a dam breach that abruptly discharged between 55 and 62millionm3 of tailings into the
Doce River watershed. On November 5th, 2015, a tsunami of slurry engulfed the small district
of Bento Rodrigues, loading the Doce River and its estuary with toxic tailings along a
663.2 km trajectory, extending impacts to the Atlantic coast. Acute ecological impacts will
adversely affect livelihoods of more than 1 million people in 41 riparian municipalities by
reducing local access to fisheries resources, clean water, crop production sites, hydroelectric
power generation and raw materials. The threats to riverine human communities are particularly critical for the disadvantaged populations from remote areas that rely on subsistence
agriculture and fisheries, and are uniquely vulnerable to long-term heavy metal
exposure. At the landscape scale, we predict multiple negative impacts, ranging from alterations
of the genetic diversity of fish populations to long-term vegetation loss and poor
regeneration in contaminated areas. Consequently, compromised soil stability and runoff
control will increase the risk of further geomorphologic disturbance, including landslides,
bank failure and mass movements. We propose spatially explicit long-term monitoring
frameworks and priority mitigation measures to cope with acute and chronic risks. We posit
that, from a national perspective, disastrous impacts like that of Doce River may become
more frequent, given the recent regulatory changes that undermine both institutional governance
structures and enforcement of environmental regulation.
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Heavy metals, Mining restoration, Water resources
Citação
FERNANDES, G. W. A. et al. Deep into the mud: ecological and socio-economic impacts of the dam breach in Mariana, Brazil. Natureza & Conservação, v. 14, p. 35-45, 2016. Disponível em: <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1679007316301104>. Acesso em: 25 ago. 2017.