R. (Rafaela) Shinobe Massignan, BSc

I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Groningen (UG) and at the University of São Paulo (USP), in Brazil. My research is about risk communication related to mining tailings storage facilities (TSFs), which are deposits of mining waste.

My studies about TSFs began in July 2019, as an undergraduate of Mining Engineering at USP. In my undergraduate research project, I analyzed the meaning of 'de-characterizing' TSFs, as it was a new legal demand for upstream dams in Brazil. The concept was related to the closure of facilities and their reintegration into the surrounding landscape. In the sequence, I worked as an intern in a cumulative environmental impact assessment about the closure of tailings dams in Minas Gerais, between 2020 and 2021. Later, in 2021, in my undergraduate thesis, I started to investigate the disclosure of TSF's risk information in public databases. Among mining engineering students at USP, my work was selected as the best of the year. After graduating in Mining Engineer at USP, I worked as a consultant in environmental impact assessments for environmental licensing of mining companies in Brazil.

Now, as a PhD Candidate, I continue to develop knowledge to improve the risk communication about TSFs. My research is aligned with my personal mission to improve the social and environmental responsibility of the Mining Industry.