Marine Accidents in the Brazilian Amazon: The Problems and Challenges in the Initiatives for Their Prevention Focused on Passenger Ships

Abstract

The Brazilian Amazon is part of one of the largest river systems in the world, in which the transport of cargo and passengers is commonplace. However, several accidents still occur to passenger ships, causing fatalities. Transportation occurs commonly in remote regions, where there are transport inequalities, and emergency assistance is hard to find. This can affect sustainability in communities with considerable levels of economic and social vulnerability. More information is needed about accidents involving inland transport in the Amazon, to identify the threats to ships and propose strategies for accident prevention. This paper addresses the main problems that long-distance passenger ships face in the Brazilian Amazon, presenting an integrated framework towards accident prevention. First, the present situation is characterized in terms of ship description, spatial distribution, and regulations that are applicable. Next, possible causes of passenger ship accidents are discussed, including topics of concern that should be considered in the Amazon waterways. Finally, measures to help minimize passenger ship accidents are proposed, and the social relevance is discussed. It was found that accidents in the Amazon are due to a combination of human and environmental factors. Stakeholders should strengthen the technical and legal training of ship operators. The use of new technologies for navigational aid and necessary maintenance of ships is suggested. Marine accident prevention initiatives should consider local conditions, such as environmental preservation, cultural respect, and difficulties related to navigation through the complex riverine system of the Amazon region.

Importância De Considerar Os Fatores Humanos Nas Iniciativas De Prevenção De Acidentes De Embarcações Na Região Amazônica

“…A utilização de embarcações para amplas finalidades na região amazônica apresenta diversos desafios técnicos, econômicos e socioambientais, como mostrado em recentes pesquisas (FONTES et al, 2023a(FONTES et al, , 2023bPADOVEZI, 2021). Contudo, cabe mencionar que existem várias empresas na indústria naval regional que tentam implementar adequadamente procedimentos de formação e capacitação de recursos humanos, baseados em normas e regulamentos.…”

“…Nos rios da região amazônica, é possível encontrar embarcações de diversos tamanhos e regimes de operação, como ilustrado na Figura 1. No entanto, a navegação na região enfrenta múltiplos desafios, como mostrado por Fontes et al (2023a). As embarcações estão expostas a fatores ambientais, tecnológicos e humanos que podem resultar em acidentes.…”

Challenges and alternatives for unmanned underwater vehicular research in the Amazon basin: Towards a more sustainable management of water resources and the environment

“…An important characteristic of Amazonian waters is the difference in the hydraulic geometry of the river channels, including the shape, size and changes in depth. It is important to mention that changes in depth are common in the Amazon waterways, due mainly to sediment transport, particularly important when deciding whether to deploy marine devices in the wet or the dry season (Fontes et al, 2023). Figure 5a shows a map of the Amazon River Basin, including the main waterbodies.…”

“…The Amazon region, one of the largest hydrographic basins in the world, has a great diversity of flora and fauna. River depths vary considerably, allowing economic activities to develop, such as fishing, mining and navigation (Fontes et al, 2023). However, exploration of these underwater regions is required for water and environmental management activities and to oversee the exploitation of resources to ensure their sustainability.…”

Marine Accidents in the Brazilian Amazon: Potential Risks to the Aquatic Environment

“…The protection of the Amazon basin is important in mitigating climate change, as well as conserving biodiversity and freshwater resources [3]. Although the basin extends over seven countries, the Brazilian Amazon possesses the main hydrographic network, with ~10.5 million km of waterways [4] coursing through nine states, including mainly Amazonas and Pará [5], Figure 1. freshwater resources [3].…”