Movement of People Affected by Dams

Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens

The Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) is a grassroots organization made up of social activists without distinction as to skin color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political party or level of education. MAB is defined as a national, autonomous and mass movement, with regional partnerships, present in 19 Brazilian states (RS, SC, PR, SP, MT, MG, BA, PE, PB, CE, PI, GO, TO, MA, PA, RJ, ES, AP and RO). It is an organization with collective participation and protagonism at all levels.

For more than 30 years, the movement has been working in defense of the rights of those affected, in defense of water and energy, for Brazilian sovereignty and for the construction of a popular project for the nation. Its main objective is to organize those affected by dams (before, during or after the construction of the projects), acting in defence of the interests of the populations affected by the system of generation, distribution and sale of electricity.

Autoria: Laura Asbeg.

History

The International Day of Struggles Against Dams, For Rivers, For Water and For Life has been celebrated since 1997, when Brazil hosted the 1st International Meeting of People Affected by Dams. But the date also marks the day when MAB was officially born in 1991.

The Movement of People Affected by Dams has a long history of resistance, struggles and achievements. The MAB was created in the early 1990s, through experiences of local and regional organization of the people affected, as a response to the long period of violence and violations suffered by these populations since the 1970s, when they faced threats and aggressions suffered in the implementation of hydroelectric projects, when the military dictatorship intensified the construction of dams in Brazil. It later became a national organization and today, in addition to fighting for the rights of those affected, it is demanding a People's Energy Project to change all the unjust structures of this society at their root.

Main fights

Among the movement's main demands is the regulation of the National Policy on the Rights of People Affected by Dams (PNAB), law 14.755, which was sanctioned in 2022 after 30 years of struggle, but has yet to be effectively implemented.

“According to a 2011 report by the Council for the Defense of Human Rights (CDDPH), there are 16 human rights that are systematically violated in the construction of dams in Brazil, such as the right to information, participation of the population, adequate housing, fair negotiation, justice and full reparation for losses. Regulating the PNAB would help the government curb abuses by the companies that control the dams and provide reparations to the affected populations.”

Human Rights

MAB's history stems from the systematic denial of rights to people affected by dams, who already face difficulties in accessing justice. According to the National Human Rights Council, at least 16 rights are frequently violated in this context.

As a result, the movement began to fight for the realization of human rights as one of its main banners. Over time, those affected have recognized themselves as defenders of these rights, leading to achievements such as resettlement, compensation and equal treatment for men and women.

Despite the challenges and setbacks on the national stage, MAB continues to make progress with training and popular education. For the movement, defending land, water, energy and the distribution of wealth means building a fairer country, with a state capable of tackling the causes of inequality and the denial of rights.

Energy and popular sovereignty

The MAB argues that the current energy policy turns energy into a commodity to favor the profit of capital, contrary to the idea that water and energy are not commodities. For this reason, the movement proposes a popular energy project, based on sovereignty, wealth distribution and popular control.

Before the 1990s, the electricity sector was state-owned and monopolized. With the advance of neoliberalism, it was privatized and began to follow market rules. Despite having one of the largest hydroelectric potentials in the world and low production costs, Brazil is among the countries with the most expensive energy.

In view of this, the MAB believes that the struggle should not be restricted to changing the energy matrix, but should confront the projects of capital and transform energy policy as a whole.

Water

For MAB, water is a fundamental human right and cannot be treated as a commodity. Although Brazil has the largest freshwater reserves in the world and most of the supply is still state-owned, there is a growing offensive by transnational companies to privatize the sector and apply the same lucrative model as the electricity sector, which could lead to abusive increases in tariffs.

In the countryside, the conflict is intense: peasants, responsible for 70% of food production, face agribusiness, which consumes 80% of the water and uses violent means to maintain its control. This dispute jeopardizes rivers, aquifers and the right to life.

MAB fights against the privatization of water and affirms that “water and energy are not commodities”, but essential goods for the sovereignty and dignity of the Brazilian people.

Dams and violations

The construction of dams in Brazil has caused serious human rights violations, exacerbating social inequalities and generating misery and disruption in the communities affected. These consequences are the result of a national policy that prioritizes dams for various purposes - energy, supply, tailings - without adequately considering the social, environmental, economic and cultural impacts.

The effects vary according to the type of dam, its purpose, location and those responsible for its operation (public or private). According to the National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA), the country has more than 17,000 registered dams, hundreds of which present high risk and high potential damage.

This reality reveals not only the magnitude of the negative impacts, but also the fragility of dam safety and the systematic violation of the rights of the populations affected.

The Amazon and disputed models

In the face of the economic and climate crises, the Amazon has been the target of increasing exploitation by capital, with deforestation, fires and the privatization of water threatening the region's biodiversity and peoples. One dominant model treats the Amazon as a semi-colony, geared towards the export of commodities and the profits of transnational companies, deepening local misery and violence.

In contrast, it is possible to build a development model that puts life at the center, with the distribution of wealth and the sustainable use of resources, promoting justice for those who live in the cities, in the floodplains, in the crossings and on the banks of the rivers. If the Amazon is at risk, we all are.

MAB's network: an international movement

More than 800,000 dams have already been built around the world, affecting around 1% of the planet's surface and displacing more than 40 million people - many of them indigenous and traditional communities. The consequences are repeated: environmental degradation, reduced fishing, greenhouse gas emissions, seismic risks and the indebtedness of poor countries like Brazil.

In view of this, MAB reaffirms its commitment to internationalism, strengthening global alliances through meetings of those affected and, especially in Latin America, through the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAR).

Member of La Via Campesina, the Workers' and Peasants' Platform for Water and Energy, and the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAR), among others.

National Policy on the Rights of Affected Populations

At the end of 2023, President Lula sanctioned the National Policy on the Rights of People Affected by Dams (PNAB), a major achievement for people affected by dams - hydroelectric, mining or otherwise - in Brazil. Among other advances, the legislation is important for unifying the rights of communities across the country by defining the concept of impact, establishing duties for the companies causing the damage, setting out guidelines for reparation and structuring tools for popular participation throughout the process.

Who are the People Affected by Dams (PAB)?

The PNAB defines the affected population as all those who experience one or more of the following impacts caused by the construction, operation, decommissioning or collapse of dams:

• Loss of ownership or possession of property;
• The devaluation of real estate due to its location near or downstream of these structures;
• Loss of the productive capacity of land and natural elements of the landscape that generate income, directly or indirectly, and of the remaining part of partially affected property, which affects the income, livelihood or way of life of populations;
• Loss of product or areas for fishing or natural resource management; Prolonged interruption or alteration of water quality that harms supply; Loss of sources of income and work;
• Change in the habits of populations, as well as loss or reduction of their economic activities and subjection to negative social, cultural and psychological effects due to removal or evacuation in emergency situations;

• Alteration in the way of life of indigenous populations and traditional communities Interruption of access to urban areas and rural communities; other possible impacts, indicated at the discretion of the licensing environmental body.

MAB in numbers

More than 4 million people have been affected by the construction and collapse of dams in Brazil over the last 80 years. This figure was published in the study “Health, water, energy, environment and work: weaving knowledge to promote sustainable and healthy territories”, carried out by the Osvaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), in partnership with the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB).

Find out more: https://mab.org.br/

See also

Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto (MTST)

Movimento Sem Teto do Centro (MSTC)