ID: 1543
Presenting Author: Rafaela Massignan
Session: 695 - Let’s talk about risk: engaging on low likelihood, high consequence events
Status: pending
The analyzes of semi-structured interviews with affected people and stakeholders indicate that top-down approaches in risk communication negatively influences the credibility of information.
To understand which factors of risk communication might lead to credibility failure, this research conducted a case study of the Sul Superior tailings dam in Brazil. This facility was selected because some affected people and environmental activists claim that its low safety classification is fake and that it has been used for land grabbing. Since February 2019, the classification of this dam legally requires the evacuation of close downstream areas. To identify the perspective of communities and stakeholders, semi-structured interviews were conducted with people removed and not removed who live in the municipality of the dam, activists, civil defense, independent technical advisory for the affected people, and the Mining Agency of Brazil. Content analysis was used to verify the hypothesis that the top-down approach has negatively influenced the credibility of information. The results indicate that the low degree of rightsholders' participation in the decision-making process about the dam, such as emergency preparedness and compensation programs, influenced the credibility failure. These findings were supported by the top-down manner in which communities were evacuated from their houses, militarized emergency simulations, and the purchase of houses by the mining company. To increase the reliability of information, this case suggests that rightsholders should be engaged in the entire process of risk management, and not only receive information and respond to emergencies. This research concludes that participatory risk management strengthens trust in risk information.
PhD candidate at the University of São Paulo and the University of Groningen. Her studies involve communication of risk information related to mining tailings storage facilities.