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The failures of the Fundão dam (Mariana, 2015) and the Córrego do Feijão dam (Brumadinho, 2019) profoundly reshaped tailings management practices in Brazil, triggering a comprehensive reassessment of the design, operation, and closure of existing dams. These events reinforced the need to progressively reduce reliance on upstream‑constructed dams and to accelerate their decommissioning.

In this context, the Brazilian mining industry has undertaken complex programs of decharacterization and elimination, combining geotechnical, hydrological, operational, and social challenges. These efforts are often carried out under stringent safety constraints while maintaining operational continuity. The projects have required the development of technical solutions tailored to diverse local conditions, including topography, hydrogeology, climate, and the management of transitional‑phase risks.

Among the key measures implemented are downstream containment structures (ECJ), designed to reduce potential downstream impacts during intermediate stages of decharacterization and elimination, as well as Geotechnical Monitoring Centers (CMG), which play a central role in integrating instrumentation data, enabling real‑time interpretation, and supporting operational decision‑making.

In parallel, the growing use of filtered tailings stacking has significantly reduced hydraulic tailings volumes and associated risks, while enabling more controlled deposition configurations, improved mechanical performance of materials, and more predictable long‑term stability management.

These technical developments have been accompanied by strengthened independent technical audits, including reviews conducted under the supervision of the Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministério Público). This has contributed to greater transparency in governance, clearer technical accountability, and enhanced traceability of engineering decisions. The integration of advanced monitoring systems, dynamic risk analyses, and alert‑management protocols has further reinforced a preventive approach to dam safety.

The Brazilian experience therefore offers major lessons for the international community, illustrating the technical challenges, operational trade‑offs, and innovations required for the progressive elimination of upstream dams and the transition toward more robust and resilient tailings and waste‑management solutions.

Miguel Paganin Neto is a geological engineer with a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering and more than fifteen years of international experience in geotechnics and hydrogeology applied to mining operations. He has built a solid career within major global mining companies, including ArcelorMittal Mines (Brazil, Canada, and Liberia) and VALE S.A., and currently serves as the Global Dry Tailings Expert at ArcelorMittal’s worldwide headquarters in London. He is also a PhD candidate in geotechnical engineering at the University of Brasília (UnB) in Brazil.

His technical expertise spans rock mechanics, slope stability, numerical geotechnical modeling, as well as the integrated management and governance of complex geotechnical structures, including tailings dams and dikes, filtered tailings stacks, waste rock dumps, and open‑pit mines. He has led multidisciplinary and multicultural teams in strategic projects involving the elimination of upstream dams, the implementation of dry stacking solutions, the development of large‑scale filtered tailings facilities, the optimization of geotechnical design criteria, and the creation of global technical standards.

Miguel has recognized expertise in geotechnical risk management, sustainability, and ESG governance, with sustained interaction with regulatory authorities and stakeholders, as well as active contributions to the development of policies and technical standards. He has complemented his professional background with an Executive MBA from Fundação Dom Cabral, strengthening his ability to integrate technical, strategic, and managerial decision‑making within a long‑term value‑creation perspective.

He is also involved in higher education and scientific research, with national and international publications in geotechnics, numerical modeling, and risk management. A member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) and a permanent resident of Canada since 2019, he is fluent in Portuguese, English, and French, and has an intermediate level of Spanish.