COVID-19, Rising Gold Prices and Illegal Mining Threaten Indigenous Lands in the Amazon
Date of Publication
2020 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Illegal Mining
Keywords
Illegal Mining, Illegal mining, gold, indigenous, covid-19, Suriname, Guyana, Amazon, Brazil
Description
The Amazon contains world-class deposits of gold, copper, tin, nickel, iron ore and other industrial minerals. For decades, Amazonian governments have promoted and supported mining. But in recent years, they have committed to mining as a key component of their national development strategies and have provided new incentives to encourage investments. Not surprisingly, mining has expanded and grown as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) in several countries, especially Suriname, Guyana, Peru and Bolivia. As the price of gold and other minerals soars, so do the impacts on the Amazon forest and its people, including the 1.5 million Indigenous People who are dependent on the forest for their livelihoods and well-being.
Report Location
COVID-19, Rising Gold Prices and Illegal Mining Threaten Indigenous Lands in the Amazon
The Amazon contains world-class deposits of gold, copper, tin, nickel, iron ore and other industrial minerals. For decades, Amazonian governments have promoted and supported mining. But in recent years, they have committed to mining as a key component of their national development strategies and have provided new incentives to encourage investments. Not surprisingly, mining has expanded and grown as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) in several countries, especially Suriname, Guyana, Peru and Bolivia. As the price of gold and other minerals soars, so do the impacts on the Amazon forest and its people, including the 1.5 million Indigenous People who are dependent on the forest for their livelihoods and well-being.
