Ensuring the Human Right to Water in Dam Break Scenarios Using Geoprocessing and Multicriteria Analysis

Abstract

The high incidence of mining dam failures in recent decades and the socio-environmental aspects related to these events demand improvements in disaster risk management in the mining sector. One of the impacts related to mining dam failures is the alteration in water quality downstream of the breach. This chapter presents a methodology to determine critical points regarding the assurance of the right to access safe water, signaling locations that deserve special attention, and demonstrating practical application through the case study of the Piracicaba River. Geotechnology solutions, such as the use of multicriteria analysis associated with geoprocessing, play a prominent role in spatial studies related to environmental impacts, such as those caused by mining dam failures. The overlay of various layers of information, whether they are related to environmental or anthropogenic factors, provides coherent and consistent data concerning the reality presented in the particularity of each studied location. The assessment of the impact of a dam breach on surface water catchments carried out through this technology, provides a ranking of the potential damages caused and, consequently, allows for better decision-making for mitigation or even the prevention of future damages caused by the interruption of water supply from potentially affected watercourses.