It is an often repeated falsehood that Brazil is unaffected by natural disasters. The floods that cause destruction in cities and villages around the country’s Southeast on an annual basis are an easy way to debunk this claim — while aggravated by nonsensical urban planning and lack of investment in damage limitation measures, these heavy rains are undoubtedly natural phenomena.
However, the sentiment behind the statement that “Brazil doesn’t have natural disasters” is really referring to earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. In this respect, yes, Brazil is almost completely untouched by these potentially deadly events. But, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Campinas and the University of Córdoba in Argentina, this may be about to change — and human interference is to blame.
Disturbing the peace
The study in question focuses on the city of Manaus, which sits upon a vast shale gas basin that the Mines and Energy Ministry has coveted for potential fracking projects....
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