The Amazon River Basin
Gold mining in the Amazon region started as early as the 1500's , as the lands near the coasts and major rivers became more accessible. Although they were unable to fully use this resources then due to climate and political instability, it did lay a path way for the mining industry. Like most things in life, there has been both negative and positive effects to mining in this precious region.
As the price of gold globally increased in the 1970's, which helped kick start the gold rush in the Amazon region. Gold, is a pure metal yellow known by the symbol "Au", that is worth a huge amount to the Indigenous Tribes around the Amazon River. While this proved to be an impressive way to earn revenue, the people did not know that this desire to live would ultimately lead to the deterioration of their homeland.
By the early 1990's, the Amazon had already experienced a plethora of drawn out resources. The mining resulted in a bounty of deforestation, political unrest, and extortion of resources. By 2008, it was registered that the production of gold was almost 300,000 kilos.
It is important to note the two types of mining and two types of dredging. The large scale mine's are owned by companies who will mine until all the mineral deposits have been acquired. In order to achieve this, they use large machinery to dig out the gold from the soil and mercury found in the gold deposits. To contrast, the small scale mining focuses on a smaller population of people, consisting of about 4 to 5 men searching for gold, while using river and land dredging in order to extract the gold.
As the price of gold globally increased in the 1970's, which helped kick start the gold rush in the Amazon region. Gold, is a pure metal yellow known by the symbol "Au", that is worth a huge amount to the Indigenous Tribes around the Amazon River. While this proved to be an impressive way to earn revenue, the people did not know that this desire to live would ultimately lead to the deterioration of their homeland.
By the early 1990's, the Amazon had already experienced a plethora of drawn out resources. The mining resulted in a bounty of deforestation, political unrest, and extortion of resources. By 2008, it was registered that the production of gold was almost 300,000 kilos.
It is important to note the two types of mining and two types of dredging. The large scale mine's are owned by companies who will mine until all the mineral deposits have been acquired. In order to achieve this, they use large machinery to dig out the gold from the soil and mercury found in the gold deposits. To contrast, the small scale mining focuses on a smaller population of people, consisting of about 4 to 5 men searching for gold, while using river and land dredging in order to extract the gold.
River dredging consists of sucking up the ground beneath the river into pipes, which then filters out the gold particles. Once the ground is done being used, it is displaced back into the water across the region.
Land dredging consists of digging a hole into the soil and then using a high-pressure water source to expose the gold.
The issue of these things continues when considering the deforestation of the Amazon. Because mining is done all over the region, the areas affected are having their trees cut down to make way for the large machinery, ultimately putting endanger the already fragile ecosystem. As more and more trees are removed, the stability of the riverbank and land decreases significantly, causing the land to be more susceptible to erosion. Higher erosion equates to higher concentrations of sediments in the river, which ultimately reduces the dissolved oxygen in the river, leading to declines in fish populations.
The issue of these things continues when considering the deforestation of the Amazon. Because mining is done all over the region, the areas affected are having their trees cut down to make way for the large machinery, ultimately putting endanger the already fragile ecosystem. As more and more trees are removed, the stability of the riverbank and land decreases significantly, causing the land to be more susceptible to erosion. Higher erosion equates to higher concentrations of sediments in the river, which ultimately reduces the dissolved oxygen in the river, leading to declines in fish populations.
While it seems like these issues never end, their are some solutions to consider. Advocacy groups such as the Global Mercury Project (GMP), are working to educate miners in the region, and to reduce the mercury contamination across the board by installing cleaner mining technologies while educating workers how to use them. In addition, laws on the sale of mercury have been established to reduce the amount of pollution, which is also a good step in the right direction. With the growing spread of awareness and advocacy, restoration in the Amazon can begin to unfold.
Therefore, while mining has proven economically to be a great thing, the people of the Amazon need to start taking the steps to conserve and reduce if they want to be able to save their land from these long term effects.
Works Cited
"Gold Mining and Its Effects on the Amazon and Its Inhabitants." Geosmin. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 June 2014. <http://soilsci.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/gold-mining-and-its-effects-on-the-amazon-and-its-inhabitants/>.
"Gold Mining in the Amazon Basin." Gold Mining In The Amazon Basin Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 June 2014. <http://www.preceden.com/timelines/39970-gold-mining-in-the-amazon-basin>.
LeGuen, Roger. "Amazon Mining." WWF. WWF, n.d. Web. 05 June 2014. <http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/amazon/problems/other_threats/amazon_mining/>.
Webster, Donovan. "The Devastating Costs of the Amazon Gold Rush." Smithsonian. Smithsonian, Feb. 2012. Web. 05 June 2014. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/the-devastating-costs-of-the-amazon-gold-rush-19365506/?no-ist>
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