Water and effluent management projects

Learn about some of Vale’s voluntary initiatives, carried out in partnership with communities surrounding its operations, that promote the sustainable management of water and effluents.

Photo: Vale Archive

Environmental Control Center

Vale’s Northern System Environmental Control Center is a voluntary initiative designed to monitor environmental parameters related to mining, ore processing, transportation, and iron ore loading. The center operates remotely, using instruments and sensors with alert setpoints that trigger notifications to our operations.

The system uses predictive models trained by stored data to improve our management of ESG business risks, ensuring compliance with legal requirements, regulatory standards, and ESG principles.

Arari Rural Development Center

The Arari Rural Development Center, supported by the Vale Foundation, is a hub for innovation and the dissemination of sustainable rural technologies based on permaculture. These social technologies can be replicated by groups and families to expand access to high-quality food, strengthen family farming, promote sustainable productive inclusion and foster environmental education.

Activities carried out at the center include farm pond maintenance and cleaning, irrigation management, seed and seedling bank operations, soil preparation, biofertilizer production, intercropping, the production of biofortified foods and ecological sanitation.

Photo: Vale Archive

One of the center’s highlights is its stingless beekeeping initiative, developed in partnership with Maranhão State University. Bees play a vital role in maintaining the natural balance of ecosystems, as they are responsible for much of the pollination of native plant species and economically important crops. As a result, this initiative contributes to the restoration of tropical forests and the conservation of remaining forest areas. Bee populations also serve as bioindicators of environmental quality in protected areas.