It is now possible to virtually navigate the Doce River Basin from the Gualaxo do Norte River, in the Mariana region (MG), to the Doce River Mouth, in Espirito Santo
The Doce River Basin, one of the most monitored in the country in relation to data on water quality, was the scene of an expedition to capture and record, by means of images, the current conditions of the watercourses in the region affected by the Fundao dam collapse in Mariana (MG).
Named the Doce River Expedition, the action is a detailed photographic mapping, one of the largest ever produced in a hydrographic basin, now available to the public, incorporated into Google Street View. More than 1.5 million images were captured during 55 days, along about 600 km of river, sea, land and air routes – from the Gualaxo do Norte River, in the Mariana region (MG), to the mouth of the Doce River in Regencia, Espirito Santo. To facilitate access to information and expand this immersive experience, a digital platform was created, which, in addition to detailed mapping, features audiovisual content, interactive resources and information on the water quality.
The project is one of the initiatives that provide transparency and generate knowledge about the repair and compensation work carried out by the Renova Foundation throughout the basin.
“The objective of this project was to let, not only those affected, but the whole society, virtually navigate through the Doce River and, consequently, see how the conditions of the river are today, have access to water quality data, observe how the repair actions are evolving, and check the current conditions of the margins and the basin,” says Juliana Bedoya, Socio-Environmental Manager of the Renova Foundation.
During the expedition, completed in January this year, the team captured a total of 190,000 images using a 360-degree camera. These images show the route published on Google Street View. In addition to capturing the Doce River, another team produced mini-documentaries and videos that recorded people whose lives and livelihoods are tied to the river. For this technical visit, following the river downstream, about 37 thousand kilometers were covered by car. Adding up all the audiovisual material, including photos and videos, there are 134 hours of footage, with 291,500 files recorded.
In order to carry out the entire operation of capturing images by water and land, it was necessary to have a variety of equipment that, together, weight almost one metric ton. They include cameras, drones, servers, computers, boats, generators, batteries, solar panels, tools and supplies, in addition to a hovercraft for transportation on difficult surfaces.
Platform
All this content is available on the platform www.expedicaoriodoce.fundacaorenova.org. This digital environment also features information cards with details on the actions carried out by the Renova Foundation’s socioenvironmental programs.
There is also a photo gallery available to the user, with pictures taken along the way. It is also possible to have access to information related to water quality produced by one of the largest monitoring programs in the country, carried out by the Renova Foundation since 2017.
Safety
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of certain strategies were fundamental and required careful planning to ensure compliance with all protocols adopted by the Renova Foundation, also integrated with the health recommendations and guidelines of the states and municipalities visited. The team underwent testing and rigorous quarantining, and isolated itself in a entirely self-sufficient motorhome. The objective was to avoid contact with communities and maintain social distance.