AEDAS – Associação Estadual de Defesa Ambiental e Social

Promoção da auto-organização dos Atingidos pela Barragem de rejeitos da Samarco no município de Mariana para negociação coletiva de reparos de perdas e danos

Rights and reparations for riverside families affected by the environmental disaster in Mariana, MG

As two water dams in the town of Mariana burst, a surge of mud washed over the region, destroying houses, rendering the land infertile, and leaving many dead. AEDAS helps organize families affected by the disaster to lead their negotiation processes for compensation with the government and other responsible entities.

AEDAS has over 30 years of experience supporting people impacted by dam activities, working together with the affected from the moment a disaster strikes. The organization currently helps more than 300,000 families impacted by dams in Minas Gerais, serving farmers, indigenous peoples, riverside communities, fishermen, miners, quilombolo residents, and even urban populations. The main objectives of AEDAS are to defend the rights of affected families, and to ensure that they are represented in a collective bargaining plan from the moment a dam is erected to the first signs of environmental damage. AEDAS ultimately helps these families receive compensation for the affects on their housing, land, sanitation, transport and roads, education, health etc.

IMPACT

With support from the BrazilFoundation Minas Fund, AEDAS will:
• Assess damages for those affected by the dam disaster;
• Provide support and advising for those affected directly by the disaster, to help guarantee their right to full compensation for their losses, benefiting around 700 people indirectly;
• Mobilize families and promote awareness on their rights;
• Guarantee collective bargaining plans in full for the families;
• Training for 5-20 families as grassroots groups to spur public involvement for repairing damages.

“This disaster has caused great trauma on the people here. Our dairy production and trade has stopped. Our city revolved around milk production, and now we dream of getting back our city – the way she was before: calm, quiet, no mud or mining trucks. ” -Sergio Parrot – resident of the Bento Rodrigues district in Mariana.