basin has a population of about 3,100,000, with the urban population making up 68.7% of the total population. In recent years the population has declined, with small towns and rural areas losing up to 40% of their population. Major cities located along the Doce or in its basin are: Timóteo, Coronel Fabriciano, Ipatinga, Governador Valadares, Colatina, and Linhares. Climate According to the Koppen classification, there are three climatic types in the Doce basin: Tropical with altitude climate with summer rains and cool summers, present on the slopes of the Mantiqueira and the Espinhaço Mountains and at the sources of the Doce river. Tropical with altitude climate with summer rains and hot summers, present at the sources of its tributaries. Hot climate with summer rains, present in the middle and lower sections of the Doce and its tributaries. Environmental disaster On 5 November 2015, a mine dam holding back waste water from an iron ore mine in Mariana, South-Eastern Brazil, owned by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton, collapsed, devastating a nearby town with mudslides, killing at least 17 people, injuring more than 50 and causing an enormous ecological damage, and threatening life along the Rio Doce and the Atlantic sea near the mouth of the Rio Doce. About 60 million cubic meters of iron waste flowed into the Doce River. Toxic brown mudflows reached the Atlantic Ocean 17 days later. References External links Map of Doce and Jequitinhonha Rivers Copied from Documents Found in the House of Representatives from the 19th century. Rivers of Espírito Santo Rivers of Minas Gerais