29.05.2009
Breaching of the Algodões dam and the threat of mega-projects

On May 27, the breaching of the Algodões Dam inundated the coastal city of  Cocal da Estação, in the north of the State of Piauí. Five people lost their lives under 20 metres of water and mud. At least 500 families saw their houses destroyed from the strength of the current. The dam was about to breach since two weeks ago, due to the pressure of the accumulation of rain water, however a group of engineers evaluated and declared that there was no risk. The dam was constructed 10 years ago and was serving mainly for water storage.

In June 2006, in the South of Brazil, a huge leak in the structure of the reservoir of the Hydroelectric Plant Campos Novos forced the consortium Enercan – formed by Bank Bradesco, Votorantim and Camargo Corrêa – to empty it in order to carry out restoration works. At the time, the Movement of Dam Affected People (MAB) systematically denounced the imminent threat, but the company always denied the fact until it could no longer hide it. The threat of the imminent breach of the dam left in despair hundreds of families living downstream the dam.

So, which are the measures taken by the Engineering Councils facing this situation in the State of Piauí and the rest of the dams in the country? How can thousands of Brazilian families live downstream of dams if in Brazil and the rest of the world occur this type of failures mainly due to negligence and technical mistakes? For MAB, big dams are a threat to the people from the beginning of the project until many decades after the completion. Families living close to the reservoir have to live in constant fear and in state of alert. Dam breaching incidents either due to technical failures or sue to flooding as in the case of the Algodões dam, are a reality as much as the social and environmental disasters caused by the construction itself, which is common place with the great majority of dams in the country.