Decimated forests, polluted rivers, and famine — how illegal mining activities resulted in a crisis for Brazil’s Indigenous people and the environment.
It is no secret, we are losing the Amazon — fast. While there are some indications that deforestation in Brazil has slowed under new leadership (which has promised to end deforestation by 2030), the consequences of the former government remain today.
Brazil was once a poster child for conservation. After the Amazon lost 28,000 square kilometers (10,800 square miles) in 2004, that number dropped significantly by 2012. But between 2019-2022, 34,000 square kilometers (13,000 square miles) were lost as President Jair Bolsonaro’s leadership cut funding to environmental agencies, championed industries driving deforestation, weakened Indigenous land rights and further promoted the exploitation of the land — including the extraction of natural resources, like gold.
What are the consequences for the Amazon — and the planet?
Research shows, mining has devastating effects as it limits regrowth and recovery; some of the lowest recovery rates have been found in abandoned mining pits. Because of this, 2 million tons of carbon cannot be absorbed, ultimately resulting in catastrophic ripple effects felt around the world — including melting ice sheets, rising sea levels, and the degradation of permafrost.
Additionally, because the majority of illegal miners are extracting without consideration for environmental law, the Amazon is becoming more polluted with toxic substances. Gold mining is now the largest source of mercury pollution in the Amazon (as miners typically use mercury to separate gold). Rivers, fragile food webs, and inhabitants of this RAINFOREST have all been found to have elevated levels of mercury in their systems; Indigenous communities have been found to have 7.5 times the average level of mercury compared to the general population.
What are the consequences for Indigenous people of the Amazon?
60% of the Amazon is located in Brazil, and 23% of it is Indigenous land. Between 2010-2020, it’s estimated illegal mining on protected Indigenous land surged, increasing by 500%. The New York Times identified hundreds of airstrips that had been secretly built and estimated some 30,000 miners were working on Indigenous lands. The Yanomami people have been the most impacted, facing disease, abuse, violence, poisoning, and severe malnutrition — especially among children.
Approaching a tipping point
Since 2023, when Brazil’s leadership experienced a changeover, there has been a more intense crack down on illegal mining practices and an effort to stop deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon — a hopeful step in the right direction. Yet, there is still more work to be done. We have lost 17% of this RAINFOREST already. And scientists warn losing 20-25% of it will put our planet at a dangerous and irreversible tipping point. As it stands now, we are on track to lose 27% of the Amazon by 2030.
And yet — there may still be hope left for the Amazon, if we only all work together to help save it. Support those organizations fighting to save our RAINFORESTS. Donate on AMAZON RAINFOREST DAY with VAKOVAKO.
