Media associated with this campaign
Overview of this campaign
Using advanced technological resources, A Gazeta’s project "Rio de Lama e Luta" (River of Mud and Struggle) portrays the decade-long impacts of Brazil's greatest environmental tragedy, caused by the collapse of the iron ore tailings dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais. With the assistance of Artificial Intelligence, we created an interactive narrative with a powerful visual impact to forge an emotional connection with the audience—particularly younger generations—and draw attention to the environmental challenges, economic losses, and the suffering of those who depended on the river for their survival.
This special feature is the result of an expedition conducted by A Gazeta’s reporting team to cities in the state of Espírito Santo that were deeply affected by the toxic mud tsunami that contaminated the Doce River—a waterway that flows through the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. Our team traveled 800 kilometers across Espírito Santo to meet face-to-face with people who, a decade later, have still been unable to overcome the tragedy.
Presented in a scrollytelling format, the scrolling interface narrates the disaster's chronology—simulating the path taken by the mud through the Doce River—and reveals, through videos, photos, and digital art, the daily struggle for a better tomorrow by those whose dreams were interrupted by the mud.
With the support of Gemini and AI Studio, the report created customized elements—highlighting images, data, testimonials, and art—and wove together memories of the tragedy based on victims' accounts, while demanding solutions for the challenges that persist to this day.
Results for this campaign
On November 5, 2015, the Fundão dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil, collapsed, claiming 19 lives and releasing more than 50 million cubic meters of mining tailings into the Doce River basin—the equivalent of 25,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The toxic mud tsunami traveled 675 kilometers, leaving a trail of destruction until it reached the river mouth and emptied into the sea at Regência, in Linhares, located in the northern region of the state of Espírito Santo.
A Gazeta’s special feature, "Rio de Lama e Luta" (River of Mud and Struggle), gave a voice to traditional communities in Espírito Santo who, ten years after their livelihoods were devastated by the contamination of the Doce River, are still fighting for compensation. The project also offered a vital reflection on the future of the Doce River, amid expectations of a legal settlement that projects an investment of R$ 132 billion for river recovery efforts.
The report utilized an innovative format to revisit Brazil’s greatest environmental tragedy a decade later, aiming to engage younger generations in the debate and ensure the tragedy is not forgotten. To create the scrollytelling narrative, the team used Artificial Intelligence resources to customize visual elements and develop a chronological infographic that simulates the path taken by the mud through the Doce River.
The "Rio de Lama e Luta" project also featured video interviews and a "logbook" detailing the behind-the-scenes work of the reporting team, which traveled 800 kilometers across Espírito Santo. The project’s promotion on A Gazeta’s social media—platforms heavily used by young audiences—successfully engaged the public. On Instagram alone, 38 pieces of content were published, reaching 1.6 million people, generating 1.1 million interactions, and nearly 20,000 views.