scholarly journals The outbreak of illegal gold mining in the Brazilian Amazon boosts deforestation

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Siqueira-Gay ◽  
Luis E. Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Political Pressure ◽  
Deforestation Rate ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Mineral Supply ◽  
Regional Policies ◽  
Illegal Mining ◽  
Conservation Of Biodiversity

AbstractIncreased prices and political pressure are boosting illegal gold mining in the Brazilian Amazon, threatening forests, indigenous people, and conservation of biodiversity in protected areas. The rate of illegal mining deforestation increased more than 90% from 2017 to 2020, reaching 101.7 km2 annually in 2020 compared to 52.9 km2 annually in 2017. In that period, illegal mining deforestation rate grew more than the rate of clearing within mining leases. While formal mining is required to comply with environmental regulations, most small-scale or artisanal mining and especially illegal mining areas are abandoned after reserves are exhausted, without proper rehabilitation. Deforestation due to illegal mining is likely to increase in the next years, calling for coordination between local and regional policies as well as for strengthening and expanding international mechanisms to increase traceability of mineral supply chains with certification schemes to help to curb illegal mining.

scholarly journals Economic Impacts on Human Health Resulting from the Use of Mercury in the Illegal Gold Mining in the Brazilian Amazon: A Methodological Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 11869
Author(s):  
Leonardo Barcellos de Bakker ◽  
Pedro Gasparinetti ◽  
Júlia Mello de Queiroz ◽  
Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Statistical Life ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Methodological Assessment

Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Amazon results in the dumping of tons of mercury into the environment annually. Despite consensus on the impacts of mercury on human health, there are still unknowns regarding: (i) the extent to which mercury from ASGM can be dispersed in the environment until it becomes toxic to humans; and (ii) the economic value of losses caused by contamination becomes evident. The main objective of this study is to propose a methodology to evaluate the impacts of ASGM on human health in different contexts in the Brazilian Amazon. We connect several points in the literature based on hypotheses regarding mercury dispersion in water, its transformation into methylmercury, and absorption by fish and humans. This methodology can be used as a tool to estimate the extent of environmental damage caused by artisanal gold mining, the severity of damage to the health of individuals contaminated by mercury and, consequently, can contribute to the application of fines to environmental violators. The consequences of contamination are evaluated by dose-response functions relating to mercury concentrations in hair and the development of the following health outcomes: (i) mild mental retardation, (ii) acute myocardial infarction, and (iii) hypertension. From disability-adjusted life years and statistical life value, we found that the economic losses range from 100,000 to 400,000 USD per kilogram of gold extracted. A case study of the Yanomami indigenous land shows that the impacts of mercury from illegal gold mining in 2020 totaled 69 million USD, which could be used by local authorities to compensate the Yanomami people.

scholarly journals Legalization of illegal small-scale mining, as a policy of business guarantee and environmental management

2021 ◽  
Vol 882 (1) ◽  
pp. 012077
Author(s):  
S Sugiarti ◽  
B Yunianto ◽  
R Damayanti ◽  
N R Hadijah
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Illegal Mining ◽  
The Government ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Social Vulnerabilities ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Small-scale mining has a very long history, and the majority operated without permits: coal and almost all kinds of minerals they cultivate. The area of operation covers most of Indonesia. There are grab licensed mining areas. The number of illegal miners is estimated at more than 3.6 million people, about 1.4 million gold miners. This activity has been going on for years, never be solved. The Negative impacts of illegal mining, include the loss of potential state revenue, environmental damage and mercury pollution, mining accidents, social vulnerabilities, conflicts with licensed companies, and no resource conservation. It is time for this issue serious attention of the government to be resolved. Legalization by granting permits can be a business guarantee that will grow responsibility for regulations and become the basis for environmental management. This research is socio-legal research. The role of local governments, associations, and the state-owned company is required in technical guidance on mining and the environment, institutions, business management, and product markets. If the activities can be managed and developed, the negative impacts can be overcome. So, the benefits of their business can become a forum for people’s activities in the mining sector, and state revenues can be collected.

Maternal exposure to arsenic and mercury in small-scale gold mining areas of Northern Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Vol 173 ◽  
pp. 432-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias C. Nyanza ◽  
Francois P. Bernier ◽  
Mange Manyama ◽  
Jennifer Hatfield ◽  
Jonathan W. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Maternal Exposure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Northern Tanzania

scholarly journals Heterogeneity of malaria prevalence in alluvial gold mining areas in Northern Mato Grosso State, Brazil

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 2878-2886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisson Flávio Barbieri ◽  
Diana Oya Sawyer
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Model ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Malaria Prevalence ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Alluvial Gold ◽  
Related Population

This paper analyzes factors affecting the risk of malaria among individuals working in wildcat gold mining camps (garimpos) in northern Mato Grosso State in the Brazilian Amazon. Historically, such mining camps have the locations with the highest malaria prevalence in the Brazilian Amazon. However, little attention has focused on understanding the disease from the internal perspective of the mining camps themselves, such as the mining population's characteristics and its spatial organization. This paper adopts a stepwise logistic model to identify spatial, occupational-exposure, and cultural factors that affect malaria prevalence. According to the results, differences among individuals working and/or living in the gold mining areas could produce different exposure to the disease and thus to different risk of malaria prevalence. Understanding these differences may provide an important tool for identifying risk profiles in the gold mining and related population and for informing programs for prevention and treatment of malaria in the Amazon.

Deforestation and forest regeneration following small-scale gold mining in the Amazon: the case of Suriname

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garry D. Peterson ◽  
Marieke Heemskerk
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Gold Rush ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Despite scientific concern about Amazon deforestation and the impacts of the Amazon gold rush, few researchers have assessed the long-term impacts of small-scale gold mining on forest cover. This study estimates deforestation from gold mining and analyses the regeneration of abandoned mining areas in the Suriname Amazon. Fieldwork in December 1998 included observations and ecological measurements, as well as qualitative interviews with local miners about mining history and technology. Vegetation cover of abandoned mining sites of different ages was compared with that in old-growth forest. By present estimates, gold miners clear 48–96 km2 of old-growth forest in Suriname annually. Based on different assumptions about changes in technology and the amount of mining that takes place on previously mined sites, cumulative deforestation is expected to reach 750–2280 km2 by 2010. Furthermore, the analysis of abandoned mining sites suggests that forest recovery following mining is slow and qualitatively inferior compared to regeneration following other land uses. Unlike areas in nearby old-growth forest, large parts of mined areas remain bare ground, grass, and standing water. The area deforested by mining may seem relatively small, but given the slow forest recovery and the concentration of mining in selected areas, small-scale gold mining is expected to reduce local forest cover and ecosystem services in regions where mining takes place.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document