Community-organised disaster response to the 2019 Northeast Brazil Oil Spill in small-scale fishing territories in Bahia, Brazil

Authors

  • Frances Sentilles MSPH in Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
  • Louise O. R. Machado PhD in in Public Health, Institute of Public Health Studies Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Rita de Cássia Franco Rêgo Full Professor, Post-Graduate Program in Health, Environment, and Labor, School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v16n2.2025.58154

Keywords:

Oil spill, Small-scale fishing, Disaster response, Disaster preparedness, Community organising

Abstract

The 2019 Northeast Brazil Oil Spill represents an opportunity to observe small-scale fishing communities’ disaster response capacity and identify opportunities to improve resilience. With a delayed and disjointed national government response, many communities organised clean-up activities and other actions. A mixed-methods study including a questionnaire (n=168) and semi-structured interviews (n=11) was conducted in two municipalities in Bahia to analyse the disaster response. 66.1% (111/168) of the questionnaire respondents participated in clean-up efforts, with greater participation in the community, with more fishing trade associations and government        support. The rapid mobilisation of these volunteer efforts was a positive indicator of resilience, although fishers’ involvement puts them at risk for health consequences. Risk management, access to materials, and emergency literacy were weaknesses in the disaster response. While government management and ownership are needed during acute disasters, partnerships with fishing communities could serve to enhance disaster resilience due to their pre-existing organisational structures and demonstrated willingness to volunteer as first responders.

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Author Biographies

Frances Sentilles, MSPH in Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Master’s of Science in Public Health in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Member of the Health, Environment, Work, and Sustainability in Communities Research Group (UFBA/Public Health). Works on documenting human exposures to environmental contaminants in artisanal fishing communities along Brazil’s coast.

Louise O. R. Machado, PhD in in Public Health, Institute of Public Health Studies Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

PhD in Public Health from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Master’s in Health, Environment, and Work from the Federal University of Bahia; Bachelor’s in Social Work from the Federal University of Bahia. Member of the Health, Environment, Work, and Sustainability in Communities Research Group (UFBA/Public Health). Works on projects in artisanal fishing communities along the northeastern coast of Brazil and in the area ofevaluating the implementation of strategies with populations exposed to environmental contamination and post-disaster exposure processes.

Rita de Cássia Franco Rêgo, Full Professor, Post-Graduate Program in Health, Environment, and Labor, School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

M.D. from the Federal University of Bahia, MPH in Public Health - Epidemiology, PhD in Public Health – Epidemiology; Researcher and Professor, Post-Graduate Program in Health, Environment, and Labor, School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia; Full Professor at the Medical School at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBa); Independent External Consultant.Leader of the CNPq Research Group on Health, Environment, Work, and Sustainability in Communities. Coordinates projects assessing the impacts of environmental and occupational exposures in vulnerable communities.

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Published

2025-08-30

How to Cite

Sentilles, F., Machado, L. O. R., & Rêgo, R. de C. F. (2025). Community-organised disaster response to the 2019 Northeast Brazil Oil Spill in small-scale fishing territories in Bahia, Brazil. Sustainability in Debate, 16(2), 173–190. https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v16n2.2025.58154

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025): Sustainability in Debate

Section

Articles - Varia

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