Barragens órfãs: estudo de caso da barragem de Juturnaíba, localizada no estado do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

Currently, in many countries, despite the progress of the information registry, there are still a significant number of dams in indeterminate situation, represented by the absence of owner identification. In Brazil, there are 24,092 registered dams, of which 570 do not have an identified owner. The aim of this study is to analyze the problem of the non-existing concession or ownership transfer documentation and its implications on the vulnerability of both the dam and the downstream valley population and the environmental protected areas. The selected study case is Juturnaíba dam since it has the largest water reservoir for human supply in the state of Rio de Janeiro. During the development of the research, it can be observed that the owner’s absence leads to doubts about the legal responsibility of the dam, in addition to favoring the inexistence of dialogue, mainly between the water service concessionaires and the Civil Defense. In addition, interviews were conducted with Civil Defense agents and it was found that the professionals have the understanding that the dam’s rupture scenario represents a risk to the downstream valley population, in addition to the issue of water scarcity. It can be concluded that Juturnaíba's legal, patrimonial and operational regularization is important since it will represent the formal link between the dam and its owner. It is recommended that, as long as the Dam’s Safety National Policy regulations do not exist, the institutions identified in the dam's organizational structure propose alternatives for emergency water supply and define who will take care of the dam's maintenance and who will be responsible for the elaboration of the Emergency Action Plan. It is also recommended that partnerships be established with the Academy to carry out technical training courses related to the dam’s safety to the Civil Defense agents, involving training and simulation practice. Finally, considering the dam’s poor maintenance, it is suggested that future studies evaluate the stability of the earth dam’s embankments.