The Brazilian Amazon city Buriticupu finds itself in an escalating ecological crisis because huge sinkholes called “voçoroca” continue to engulf sections of the residential zone. After multiple deep sinkholes grew intensely through the municipal territory the government enacted a state of emergency to protect homes and infrastructure.
Decades-Long Erosion Problem Accelerates Due to Poor Planning and Deforestation
Around 1,200 residents among the total 55,000 people in the town face potential home loss from the increasing subsidence that opens in the ground. Local authorities activated an emergency order to alert residents about sinkhole movement that threatens nearby residential zones. The problem continues to worsen for more than 30 years because residents have observed continuous soil damage particularly during wet seasons. Catastrophic events occur due to poor urban planning and deforestation along with sandy land conditions that leave the area at risk.
Residents Fear for Their Safety as Sinkholes Expand
According to media reports, Marcelino Farias, a geographer and professor at the Federal University of Maranhão, explained that the soil erosion worsens during rainy seasons, accelerating the development of these sinkholes. Antonia dos Anjos, a long-time resident of Buriticupu, expressed her growing concern, fearing more sinkholes could appear soon. “There’s this danger right in front of us, and nobody knows where this hole has been opening up underneath,” said Marcelino, voicing the collective anxiety of the community.
Despite the escalating crisis, Lucas Conceição, the city’s secretary of public works, admitted that the local government is ill-equipped to address the complex situation. “From managing the erosion to relocating people from high-risk areas, we clearly lack the resources and expertise to solve these problems,” he said. The ongoing crisis in Buriticupu highlights the critical need for better urban planning and environmental strategies to protect communities from such devastating natural disasters in the future.
