A new Amazon Environmental Research Institute report finds explosive growth of gold mining across the Brazilian Amazon, with Indigenous territories hit hardest and health, environmental and enforcement challenges mounting.
Mining expansion drives deforestation and mercury contamination that affects water, health and livelihoods of riverine and Indigenous communities.
Indigenous groups say illegal mining is tied to transnational criminal networks that use violence and illicit trade to sustain operations.
The area affected by gold mining across the Amazon was 20 times larger in 2024 than in 1985. The growth was even more dramatic on Indigenous lands, where mining covered 24 times as much land — and expanded nearly sevenfold between 2016 and 2024 alone. IPAM said the mining is aggravating the climate risks facing Indigenous communities.
Record-breaking gold prices, driven largely by investor demand for safe assets amid rising global risks, have driven a renewed mining rush in the Amazon, spiking deforestation and mercury contamination of riverine and Indigenous communities. "At the same time, expanding illegal mining contaminates rivers, accelerates environmental degradation and fuels health problems and violence, further weakening Indigenous communities' ability to adapt." Almost 90% of the affected area is concentrated in three territories. "Extreme weather events threaten access to water, food, transportation and healthcare," the nonprofit said.
Still, enforcement has not eliminated illegal mining across the Amazon. When authorities destroy mining equipment in one area, miners often move elsewhere or resume operations after officials leave. 10 statement, Brazil's Ministry of Human Rights said that government officials attended the hearings and discussed continued territorial enforcement, along with improvements to the water supply and food safety.
In Madre de Dios, Peru, gold mining is deeply intertwined with the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people. But the industry is also leaving a heavy mark on the Amazon, with mercury pollution and deforestation reshaping one of the world’s most biodiverse forests. In La Pampa, an area known for gold mining, a forma
MADRE DE DIOS, Peru — In Madre de Dios, in the Peruvian Amazon, thousands of people depend on gold mining, while the spread of mercury and deforestation are transforming the country’s most biodiverse tropical forest. In La Pampa, one of the region’s main gold mining hubs, a formalized artisanal mining operation is tryi
As gold prices surge, illegal mining has laid waste to swathes of Tambopata National Reserve’s rainforest “Halt, stop right there,” shouts a Peruvian Navy Seal, firing warning shots into the air. But the fleeing man pays no attention, scrambling up to the rim of a football pitch-sized crater and disappearing into the d
For the first time, Mongabay Latam analyzed 39 scientific studies published between 1997 and 2024 that confirm that 249 Indigenous and riverside communities in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil have been exposed to mercury contamination. Nearly all of them exceed the limits considered safe by the World Health Organization. The
A mining company is targeting a million ounces of gold as it seeks to fast-track plans to extend the life of its Otago gold mine.
The company is expanding its exploration portfolio overseas while planning investments to increase gold production and develop existing resources.
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.