The compliance of the Brazilian state’s actions with UNDRR international guidelines on disaster risk reduction

the case of Brumadinho

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the relationship between the UN’s international guidelines for
disaster management and the adoption of these measures in Brazil, with a case study on the
2019 rupture of the Brumadinho tailings dam operated by the Vale Company. We conducted
exploratory qualitative research, using bibliographic review and document analysis. In this
context, we analyze the evolution of the theme on the international agenda, the creation of
the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and Brazil’s participation in
multilateral agreements on disaster response. The objective is to assess whether the actions
of the Brazilian state, before and after the Brumadinho disaster, are aligned with the guidelines
of the Sendai Framework and other documents produced by this multilateral body. We
concluded that Brazil has consistently been diplomatically and legally committed, incorporating
most of the recommendations on disasters into national legislation and participating
in all conferences organized by the UNDRR. Over the past decades, Brazil has advanced its
understanding and management of disasters. However, the legal and formal commitment to
the “soft law” produced in this context encounters several structural obstacles and has not
been sufficient to implement public policies broadly and effectively.

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This article is product of research "Critérios para a reparação de danos em litígios de massa como forma de efetivação de direitos fundamentais em comunidades afetadas por desastres ambientais" funded by ESMPU.