Acidentes de embarcações no rio Madeira e os desafios para a Engenharia Naval regional.

Abstract

Marine accidents in rivers of the Amazon have been significant problems over the years, making it necessary to look for measures to prevent this type of problems. Among the rivers of the Amazon region, the Madeira River is an important waterway due to the intense activity of transporting cargo and people, being the subject of study. The present work proposes an integrated analysis of the problem of marine accidents that have occurred in the Madeira River, identifying challenges in which Naval Engineering can contribute. First, a qualitative analysis of the most common accidents was carried out. Subsequently, an analysis of documented accidents was carried out, based on data provided by the Administrative Inquiries on Accidents and Navigation Facts (IAFN's) of the Brazilian Navy, between the years 2018 and 2022. Then, main challenges that Naval Engineering could take on accident prevention initiatives were discussed. Finally, some alternatives for studying and improving navigation on the Madeira River and similar rivers were proposed, considering recent scientific advances. According to the research, it was verified that, in the last five years, the most common type of accident, documented in the Madeira River, was collision. The type of vessel that was most present in the accident data on the river in question was the pusher-barge system. The proposed challenges are related to sediment transport, water level variation, accessibility, and lack of monitoring and signalization. On the other hand, the alternatives for improvement are related to enhancing bathymetric analysis, increasing monitoring and signalization initiatives, assessing structural risks and hydrodynamic behaviour of vessels, and encouraging training activities. The data presented in the present work can contribute to plan strategies in the prevention of marine accidents in the Madeira River or similar waterways.