MARIANA'S TRAGEDY A SYSTEMIC CUT
Tragedy, Mariana, socioeconomic
After five years of the biggest environmental disaster in the history of Brazil: the
collapse of the Fundão dam in the municipality of Mariana, belonging to the company
Samarco, this being a Joint Venture of the companies Vale SA & BHP Billiton, which
caused several environmental, economic, significantly affecting the economic
performance of the State of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais. In this perspective, this
work seeks to analyze the socioeconomic aspects resulting from this tragedy with a
focus on the municipality of Mariana. Per capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in
Mariana, in 2015 before the disaster was R $ 55,349.36 after the tragedy in 2016, this
value dropped to R $ 37,570.69, totaling a drop of more than 1/3 in GDP per capita in
just one year. This data reflects the municipality's economic dependence on extractive
activities and the entire network integrated into it. In addition to the economic decline,
the loss of material and immaterial heritage must be considered, which can generate
intense suffering, sometimes almost insurmountable. Studies carried out with the Bento
Rodrigues community indicate several metal damages in the population directly
affected. The Samarco disaster cannot and should not be seen as an exceptionality, but
as an almost announced tragedy.