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Strengths and Weaknesses of a Hybrid Post-disaster Management Approach: the Doce River (Brazil) Mine-Tailing Dam Burst

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Abstract

Mine-tailing dam bursts occur frequently with attendant implications for the environment and human populations. Institutional preparedness for such events plays an important role in their lasting impact. This study analyzes the stakeholder engagement in the new governance framework created to recover the Doce River ecosystem following the 2015 disaster, where 34 million m3 of tailings were released, killing 19 people and causing massive impacts on riverine life. Following the disaster, poorly conceived political and management decisions impeded and continue to impede the progress of ecosystem recovery. The post-event management structure shows a centralized and poorly diverse stakeholder pool. We conclude that poor governance structure, and weak law enforcement, are among the main reasons preventing the Doce River post-disaster watershed recovery. A watershed vulnerability analysis combining dam stability and socioeconomic data, concluded that low ratings of socioeconomic performance substantially increase basin vulnerability. We recommend that the watershed committee should be fully involved in the implementation of the program and take a central role so that the most vulnerable communities (including indigenous people) take ownership of ecosystem recovery.

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Abbreviations

FUNAI:

National Indian Foundation (Fundação nacional do Índio)

Fundão tailing dam:

Dam owned by Samarco that ruptured on the 5th of November 2015

Candonga dam:

One of the 4 main hydroelectric dams retaining the tailings downstream the Fundão tailing dam

Samarco:

Samarco Mineração S.A., mining industry co-owned by VALE and BHP Biliton

BHP Billiton:

BHP Billiton Brasil Ltda.; Samarco’s co-share participant

VALE:

Samarco’s co-share participant

MMA:

Ministry of the Environment (Ministério do Meio Ambiente)

MME:

Mining and Energy Ministry (Ministério de Minas e Energia)

IBAMA:

Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais renováveis)

ICMbio:

Biodiversity Conservation Chico Mendes Institute (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação e Biodiversidade)

DNPM:

National Department of Mineral Research (Departamento Nacional de Pesquisas Minerais)

ANA:

Water National Agency (Agência Nacional de Águas)

SEAMA:

Espírito Santo State Secretary for the Environment (Secretaria de Meio Ambiente para o Estado de Espírito Santo)

SEAG:

Espírito Santo State Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries (Secretaria de Agricultura e Pesca do Estado do Espírito Santo)

IEMA:

Institute of Environmental and Water Resources of Espírito Santo (Instituto Estadual do Meio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos)

IDAF:

Espírito Santo Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Forestry Institute (Instituto de Defesa Agropecuária e Florestal do Espírito Santo)

AGERH:

Espírito Santo State Agency of Water Resources (Agência Estadual de recursos Hídricos do Espírito Santo)

SEMAD:

Minas Gerais State Secretary for the Environment and Sustainable Development (Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento Sustentável de Minas Gerais)

FEAM:

State Environmental Agency of Minas Gerais (Fundação Estadual do Meio Ambiente-Minas Gerais)

IGAM:

Minas Gerais Water State Institute (Instituto Mineiro de Gestão das Águas)

IEF:

Minas Gerais Forestry State Institute (Instituto Estadual de Florestas-Minas Gerais)

CPRM:

Mineral Resources Research Company (Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais)

CIF:

Inter-State Committee (Comitê Inter-Federativo)

RENOVA Foundation:

Foundation managing the new Framework Agreement

MPF:

Federal Prosecutors Office (Ministério Público Federal)

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Acknowledgements

This work was partly supported by a Young Talent fellowship funded by the program Science without Borders of the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Ana T. Lima, Felipe A. Bastos

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Ambiental, Department of Oceanography and Ecology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil

    Ana T. Lima, Renato R. Neto & Gilberto F. Barroso

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

    Ana T. Lima

  3. State Institute of Environment and Water Resources of Espírito Santo (IEMA), Vitoria, ES, Brazil

    Felipe A. Bastos

  4. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics – IBGE, Vitoria, ES, Brazil

    Fernando Jakes Teubner Jr.

  5. Geography and Environmental Science, Ulster University, Belfast, UK

    Andrew Cooper

  6. Discipline of Geology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Andrew Cooper

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  1. Ana T. Lima
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Correspondence to Ana T. Lima.

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Conflict of Interest

GFB and RRN report the involvement in an ongoing research and monitoring project financially supported by the Renova Foundation—one of the stakeholders addressed in this paper. Besides this, the analysis has been impartial and independent of this funding. All other authors declare no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this paper.

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Lima, A.T., Bastos, F.A., Teubner, F.J. et al. Strengths and Weaknesses of a Hybrid Post-disaster Management Approach: the Doce River (Brazil) Mine-Tailing Dam Burst. Environmental Management 65, 711–724 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01279-4

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