Post-disaster recovery plan for a rural settler's community affected by the Fundão dam tailings in Brazil.

The Fundão Dam rupture in Mariana, Brazil spilled contaminated tailings across the Doce River basin reaching several towns such as Ipaba. Ibapa's agricultural and fishing activities declined by 50% due to the toxicity of sodium and ether-amine, followed by a reduction of nitrate resulting in inhibition of plant growth and biota. A settler's community in Ipaba composed of 51 families whose main sources of income were agriculture and fishing activities have abandoned their properties because the land became unproductive after the Fundão dam rupture, and the rural exodus is a current concern in the town. However, previous research has demonstrated that the remediation of sodium and ether-amine, as well as the recovery of soil fertility is feasible, enabling the establishment of the native Atlantic Forest and crop species. Such procedures are recommended to recover the agricultural production in Ipaba. Aiming at protecting these cropping areas against flooding, we propose the creation of riparian forests in the floodplains. In order to make the settlers able to properly manage their lands in a post-disaster scenario, a recovery plan for Ipaba may be implemented via nature based solutions supported by social capital actions such as agroforestry technical training schools and social association, which are shown through schemes and three-dimensional modelling. [Display omitted] • Fundão Dam rupture spilled contaminated tailings in the Doce River. • Agricultural and fishing activities declined by 50% at Ipaba town. • A settler's community of Ipaba have been severely affected by the disaster. • Soil remediation may help recover the agricultural production at settler's land. • A post-disaster recovery plan for Ipaba via social capital actions is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]