Mining and Logging Threat: Gold Mining

MAAP #197: Illegal Gold Mining Across the Amazon

Posted on by Matt Finer
Example of major gold mining zone in the Peruvian Amazon. Data: Planet.

Illegal Gold Mining continues to be one of the major issues facing nearly all Amazonian countries.

In fact, following the recent high-level summit of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, the nations’ leaders signed the Belém Declaration, which contains a commitment to prevent and combat illegal mining, including strengthened regional and international cooperation (Objective 32).

Illegal gold mining is a major threat to the Amazon because it impacts both primary forests and rivers, often in remote and critical areas such as protected areas & indigenous territories.

That is, illegal gold mining is both a major deforestation driver and a source of water contamination (especially mercury) across the Amazon.

Previously, in MAAP #178, we presented a large-scale overview of the major gold mining deforestation hotspots across the entire Amazon biome. We found that gold mining is actively causing deforestation in nearly all nine countries of the Amazon.

Here, we update this analysis with two important additions. First, we add to the overview major gold mining operations taking place in rivers, in addition to those causing deforestation (see Figure 1).

Second, we present a new map of likely illegal gold mining sites, based on information from partners and location with protected areas and indigenous territories (see Figure 2).

Finally, we show a series of high-resolution satellite images of key examples of illegal Amazon gold mining.

Updated Amazon Gold Mining Map

Figure 1 is our updated Amazon gold mining map.

The orange dots indicate areas where gold mining is currently causing deforestation of primary forests. The blue dots indicate areas where gold mining is occurring in rivers. Combined, we documented 58 active forest and river-based mining sites across the Amazon.

The dots outlined in red indicate the mining sites that are likely illegal, for both forest and river-based mining. We found at least 49 cases of illegal mining across the Amazon, the vast majority of the active mining sites noted above.

Note the concentrations of illegal mining causing deforestation in southern Peru, across eastern Brazil, and across Ecuador. Similarly, note the concentrations of illegal mining in rivers in northern Peru and adjacent Colombia and Brazil.

Figure 1. Updated Amazon gold mining map. Data: ACA/MAAP. Click to enlarge.

Protected Areas & Indigenous Territories

Figure 2 adds protected areas and indigenous territories. We found at least 36 conflictive overlaps: 16 in protected areas and 20 in indigenous territories. We also found an additional two conflicts with Brazilian National Forests.

We highlight a number of high-conflict zones. For protected areas: Podocarpus National Park in Ecuador; Madidi National Park in Bolivia; Canaima, Caura, and Yapacana National Parks in Venezuela. We note that the Peruvian government has been effectively minimizing invasions in protected areas in the southern region of Madre de Dios (Tambopata National Reserve and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve).

For indigenous territories: Kayapo, Menkragnoti, Yanomami, and Mundurucu in Brazil; Pueblo Shuar Arutam in Ecuador, and a number of communities in southern Peru.

Figure 2. Amazon gold mining map., with protected areas and indigenous territories. Data: ACA/MAAP, RAISG. Click to enlarge.

Methods

The forest-based mining sites displayed in Figure 1 are largely based on information obtained over the last several years of our deforestation monitoring work. The river-based sites are largely based on information obtained from partners in country and on the ground.

We complemented this information with automated, machine-based data from Amazon Mining Watch, and data from RAISG.

For these sources, we checked recent imagery and only included sites that appeared to still be active.

Classification as an illegal mining site is largely based on location within protected areas or indigenous territories, or clearly
outside of an authorized mining zone

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N, Arinez A, Novoa S, Larrea-Alcázar D, Villa J (2023) Illegal Gold Mining Across the Amazon. MAAP: 197.

 

MAAP #185: Gold Mining Deforestation in the Southern Peruvian Amazon: 2021-2022 Update

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map. Gold Mining Deforestation in the Southern Peruvian Amazon, 2021-2022 update. Zooms indicated by insets A-F. Click on image to enlarge. Data: ACA/MAAP, CINCIA.

Gold mining continues to be one of the main causes of deforestation in the southern Peruvian Amazon, especially in the Madre de Dios region.

Here, we provide a comprehensive look at the most recent (2021-2022) gold mining-related deforestation in the area, combining two important types of data for the first time:

  1. Deforestation within the Mining Corridor, a large area delimited by the Peruvian government to organize and promote mining. Mining activity in this corridor, officially known as the “Small-scale and Artisanal Mining Zone in the department of Madre de Dios,” can be formal, informal, or illegal.1
    j
  2. Deforestation outside the Mining Corridor, which represents our estimate of illegal mining. According to current regulations (Legislative Decree No. 1336), illegal mining occurs in one or more territorial categories such as protected natural areas, indigenous reserves, and natural bodies of water (such as lakes or rivers). Therefore, for this report, the presence of mining-related deforestation in protected natural areas and their buffer zones, as well as indigenous communities, is considered an indicator of illegality. However, it is important to recognize the possibility that some of these findings may be covered by current regulations regarding mining formalization.2 Therefore, it is recommended to consider the findings of illegal deforestation as referential.

These two study areas cover a total of 1.38 million hectares and include all detected mining areas in the southern Peruvian Amazon.

We highlight several important findings (see Base Map and Table 1):

  • Table 1. Data: ACA/MAAP.

    We estimate a total deforestation of 18,421 hectares (45,520 acres) due to gold mining in the southern Peruvian Amazon in the last two years (2021-2022).
    l

  • Of this total, the majority of mining-related deforestation (76.6%, or 14,117 hectares) occurred within the Mining Corridor.
    l
  • The remaining deforestation (23.4%, or 4,304 hectares) took place outside the Mining Corridor. Breaking down this percentage, 15% is found in indigenous communities, 4.8% in buffer zones of protected natural areas, 0.8% in forest concessions, and 2.8% in non-zoned areas.
    j
  • Furthermore, we found that mining within protected natural areas, such as the Tambopata National Reserve and the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, has been effectively controlled by the Peruvian government through the National Service of Protected Natural Areas (SERNANP).
    j
  • It is important to highlight that mining has stopped in the core of La Pampa (the most critical zone during the years 2014-2018) following Operation Mercury in early 2019 and the subsequent Restoration Plan in 2021.
    j
  • Compared to the years prior to Operation Mercury (2017-2018), there has been an approximate decrease of 4.5% (866 hectares) in mining-related deforestation. Most notably, there has been a major reduction in mining outside the corridor (from 47.7% to 23.4%), and a greater concentration within the corridor (from 52.3 to 76.6%).3  That is, an apparent major reduction in illegal mining.

Mining Corridor

Our main finding is that the vast majority (76.6%) of gold mining-related deforestation in the southern Peruvian Amazon occurred within the Mining Corridor.

We estimate that the deforestation due to mining is 14,117 hectares within the Mining Corridor in the last two years (2021-2022). Below, we present a series of zooms of some emblematic examples of recent mining-related deforestation in the corridor (Images A-C).

Image A: Mining Corridor

Image B: Mining Corridor

Image C: Mining Corridor

Outside of the Mining Corridor

The remaining deforestation due to mining (23.4%) is located outside the Mining Corridor. Breaking this down, 15% (2,769 hectares) occurred within indigenous territories, 4.8% (876 hectares) in buffer zones of protected areas, 0.8% (141 hectares) in forest concessions (for Brazil nuts), and 2.8% (517 hectares) in non-zoned areas during the last two years.

Regarding indigenous communities, the most affected were Barranco Chico (816 hectares) and San José de Karene (602 hectares), followed by Tres Islas (482 hectares), San Jacinto (177 hectares), Kotsimba (174 hectares), Puerto Luz (171 hectares), Boca Inambari (140 hectares), Shiringayoc (126 hectares), Arazaire (57 hectares), and El Pilar (23 hectares).

Regarding the buffer zones of protected areas, the most affected were the buffer zones of the Tambopata National Reserve, the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, and the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. On the other hand, it has been found that mining within the actual protected areas, such as the Tambopata National Reserve and the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, has been effectively controlled by the Peruvian government through the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP).

Regarding forest concessions, deforestation due to mining was identified in 141 hectares within Brazil nut concessions in the Pariamanu and Pariamarca river basins.

Next, we continue with a series of zooms showing some emblematic examples of recent deforestation due to mining in the following prohibited areas: indigenous communities (Barranco Chico, Image D), buffer zone of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park (Chaspa, Image E), and Brazil nut concessions (Pariamanu, Image F).

We also present an important area in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve known as La Pampa (Image G). La Pampa was the epicenter of destructive deforestation due to gold mining between 2014 and 2018. We show that after Operation Mercury, which began in early 2019, the expansion of gold mining in La Pampa was essentially halted.

Image D: Barranco Chico (Indigenous Community)

Image E: Chaspa (Buffer Zone of Bahuaja Sonene National Park)

Image F: Pariamanu (Brazil Nut Concession)

Image G: La Pampa (Buffer Zone of Tambopata National Reserve)

Annex

We show a version of the Basemap without the zoom insets.

Base Map (without insets). Deforestation by Gold Mining in the Southern Peruvian Amazon, with Update 2021-22. Click image to enlarge. Data: ACA/MAAP, CINCIA.

Notes

1The Mining Corridor, designated by Legislative Decree No. 1100 as the “Zone for small-scale and artisanal mining in the department of Madre de Dios,” categorizes mining activities as follows:

  • Formal: Completed formalization process with approved environmental and operational permits.
  • Informal: In the process of formalization; Operates only in authorized extraction areas, uses permitted machinery, and is considered an administrative offense, not a crime.
  • Illegal: Operates in prohibited areas such as bodies of water (e.g., rivers or lakes), uses prohibited machinery, is considered a criminal offense, and is punishable by imprisonment.

2 Due to the possibility that these activities could be existing operations prior to the declaration of Natural Protected Areas and their buffer zones.

3 The data for 2017-2018 were obtained from the Amazonian Scientific Innovation Center – CINCIA.

Methodology

Mining Corridor

We used LandTrendR, a temporal segmentation algorithm that identifies changes in pixel values over time, to detect forest loss within the Mining Corridor in 2021 and 2022 using the Google Earth Engine platform. It is important to note that this method was originally designed for Landsat images with moderate resolution (30 meters)1, but we adapted it for higher spatial resolution NICFI-Planet monthly mosaics (4.7 meters).2

Additionally, we created a baseline for the period 2016-2020 to eliminate old deforested areas (prior to 2021) due to rapid changes in the natural regrowth process.

Finally, we manually separated forest loss due to mining and other causes in 2021 and 2022 to specifically report on direct impacts related to mining. For this part of the analysis, we used various resources to aid the manual process, such as radar image alerts (RAMI) from the SERVIR Amazonia program, historical data from CINCIA from 1985 to 2020, forest loss data from the Peruvian government (National Forest Conservation Program for Climate Change Mitigation), and the University of Maryland.

  1. Kennedy, R.E., Yang, Z., Gorelick, N., Braaten, J., Cavalcante, L., Cohen, W.B., Healey, S. (2018). Implementation of the LandTrendr Algorithm on Google Earth Engine. Remote Sensing. 10, 691.
  2.  Erik Lindquist, FAO, 2021

Outside the Mining Corridor

These places were identified as the main active fronts of deforestation due to gold mining, based on historical data from the Amazon Scientific Innovation Center – CINCIA and automatic alerts of forest loss generated by both the University of Maryland (GLAD alerts) and the Peruvian government platform (PNCBMCC-Geobosques).

The analysis combines the LandTrendr method (described earlier) with a photo interpretation based on high-resolution satellite images from Planet (3 meters). In each of the sites, we have detected, identified, and analyzed deforestation due to gold mining between 2021 and 2022. For areas with overlap between native communities and buffer zones, priority was given to the areas of the native communities.

Acknowledgements

We thank S. Novoa, C. Zavala, O. Liao, K. Nielsen, S. Otoya, and C. Ipenza for their valuable contributions and comments to this report, and R. McMullen for translation. We also thank C. Ascorra and M. Pillaca from the Amazon Scientific Innovation Center – CINCIA for providing us with historical mining data from 1985 to 2021.

This report was prepared with the technical support of USAID through the Prevent Project. Prevent (Proyecto Prevenir in Spanish) works with the Government of Peru, civil society, and the private sector to prevent and combat environmental crimes for the conservation of the Peruvian Amazon, particularly in the regions of Loreto, Madre de Dios, and Ucayali.

Disclaimer: This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through USAID. The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

 

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2023) Gold Mining Deforestation in the Southern Peruvian Amazon: 2021-2022 Update. MAAP: 185.

MAAP #178: Gold Mining Deforestation Across the Amazon

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map. Mining deforestation hotspots across the Amazon. Letters A-J indicate locations of case studies below. Click image to enlarge.

Gold Mining is one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon.

Although not typically at the scale of agricultural deforestation, gold mining has the potential to severely impact critical areas such as protected areas & indigenous territories.

Relatedly, gold mining often targets remote areas, thus impacting largely intact and carbon-rich primary forests.

Here, for the first time, we present a large-scale overview of the major gold mining deforestation hotspots across the entire Amazon biome.

We found that gold mining is actively causing deforestation in nearly all nine countries of the Amazon (see Base Map).

In  this report, we focus on five countries: Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia, featuring case studies of the most severe active gold mining fronts.

In most cases, this mining is likely illegal given that it is occurring in protected areas and indigenous territories.

Note that we focus on mining activity that is causing deforestation of primary forests. There are additional critical gold mining areas that are occurring in rivers, such as in northern Peru and southern Colombia, that are not included in this report.

Below, we show a series high-resolution satellite images of the Amazon case studies. Each example highlights recent gold mining deforestation; that is comparing 2020 (left panel) with 2022 (right panel).

Case Studies, in High-resolution

Peruvian Amazon

Southern Peru (specifically, the region of Madre de Dios) is one of the most severe and emblematic examples of gold mining deforestation in the Amazon, clearing thousands of hectares of primary forest (see MAAP #154). The active mining fronts have evolved substantially over the past 20+ years. Most recently, gold mining has impacted areas such as Mangote and Pariamanu.

A. Mangote

B. Pariamanu

Brazilian Amazon

In the vast Brazilian Amazon, illegal gold mining deforestation is most severe across a number of indigenous territories, most notably: Munduruku (Pará state), Kayapó (Pará), and Yanomami (Roraima).

C. Munduruku Indigenous Territory


D. Kayapó Indigenous Territory


E. Yanomami Indigenous Territory

Venezuelan Amazon

Mining is one of the major deforestation drivers in the Venezuelan Amazon (MAAP #155). This mining impact is occurring in the designated Orinoco Mining Arc, but also key protected areas such as Caura, Canaima, and Yapacana National Parks.

F. Canaima National Park


G. Yapacana National Park

Ecuadorian Amazon

We have been documenting the numerous mining deforestation hotspots in the Ecuadorian Amazon that appear to be intensifying in recent years. Two key examples are along the Punino River (Napo and Orellana provinces) and further south in Podocarpus National Park.

H. Punino River

I. Podocarpus National Park

Bolivian Amazon

One of the newest gold mining deforestation hotspots is along the Tuichi River in Madidi National Park.

J. Madidi National Park

Methodology

Mining deforestation hotspots were identified based on MAAP’s ongoing monitoring efforts, and assisted by Amazon Mining Watch.

Acknowledgements

We thank A. Folhadella, S. Novoa, D. Larrea, C. De Ugarte, and M. Teran for helpful comments on this report, and Conservación Amazónica – ACCA for data on mining sites in northern Peru.

This work was supported by Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) and ICFC (International Conservation Fund of Canada).

Citation

Finer M, Ariñez A, Mamani N (2023) Mining Deforestation Across the Amazon. MAAP: 178.

MAAP #182: Gold Mining Deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map. Major cases of recent gold mining deforestation in Ecuadorian Amazon.

Gold mining is one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon, with well-known cases in Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela.

In a recent series of technical articles*, in collaboration with the Ecuadorian organization Foundation EcoCiencia, we have also shown that gold mining is escalating in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Here, we summarize the results from the series and present 5 major cases of recent gold mining deforestation in Ecuador (see Base Map).

These cases, which include gold mining expansion in protected areas, indigenous territories, and primary forests, are:

  • Punino River, located between Napo and Orellana provinces, has experienced the rapid mining deforestation expansion of 217 hectares since 2019.
    l
  • Yutzupino, located in Napo province, has experienced mining deforestation of 125 hectares since 2021. Surrounding sites in Napo have added 490 hectares since 2017.
    l
  • Shuar Arutam Indigenous Territory, located in Morona Santiago province, has experienced 257 hectares of mining deforestation since 2021.
    l
  • Podocarpus National Park, located in Zamora Chinchipe province, has experienced 25 hectares of mining deforestation within the park since 2019.
    k
  • Upper Nangaritza River Protected Forest, also located in Zamora Chinchipe has experienced 545 hectares of mining deforestation since 2018.

In total, we have documented the recent gold mining deforestation of 1,660 hectares (4,102 acres) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This is equivalent to 2,325 soccer fields.

For each case, we show high-resolution satellite images of the recent gold mining deforestation.

Case Studies – Recent Gold Mining Deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon

For each of the five cases presented below, we show both a high-resolution (3 meters) example of the recent mining deforestation (left panel) and very-high resolution (0.5 meters) zoom of the mining activity (right panel).

Punino River

Along the Punino River, located between Napo and Orellana provinces, we have documented the rapid mining deforestation expansion of 217 hectares since November 2019. Alarmingly, much of this activity (85%) occurred most recently in 2022. See MAAP #176 for more details.

Case 1. Punino River.

Yutzupino/Napo

In this area, located in Napo province, we have documented the mining deforestation of 125 hectares since October 2021, including major impacts along the Jatunyacu River. Surrounding sites in Napo have added 490 hectares since 2017. See MAAP #151 and MAAP #162 for more details.

Case 2. Yutzupino/Napo.

Upper Nangaritza River Protected Forest

In Upper Nangaritza River Protected Forest, also located in Zamora Chinchipe province, we have documented the mining deforestation of 545 hectares since 2018 along the Nangaritza River. See MAAP #167 for more details.

Case 3. Upper Nangaritza River Protected Forest.

Shuar Arutam Indigenous Territory

In the Shuar Arutam Indigenous Territory, located in Morona Santiago province, we have documented the mining deforestation of 257 hectares since 2021. See MAAP #170 for more details.

Case 4. Shuar Arutam Indigenous Territory.

Podocarpus National Park

In Podocarpus National Park, located in Zamora Chinchipe province, we have documented the mining deforestation of 25 hectares since 2019 within the park, including the presence of over 200 mining camps. See MAAP #172 for more details.

Case 5. Podocarpus National Park.

*MAAP Technical Reports

MAAP #176: Expansión Alarmante de Minería en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana (Caso Punino)
https://www.maapprogram.org/2023/mineria-ecuador-punino/

MAAP #172: Minería ilegal de oro en el Parque Nacional Podocarpus, Ecuador
https://www.maapprogram.org/2023/mineria-podocarpus-ecuador/

MAAP #170: Actividad Minera en Territorio Shuar Arutam (Amazonia Ecuatoriana)
https://www.maapprogram.org/2022/mineria-shuar-arutam-ecuador/

MAAP #167: Actividad Minera en el Bosque Protector Cuenca Alta del Río Nangaritza (Ecuador)
https://www.maapprogram.org/2022/minera-nangaritza-ecuador/

MAAP #162: Dinámica de la actividad minera en la  provincia de Napo (Ecuador)
https://www.maapprogram.org/2022/mineria-napo-ecuador/

MAAP #151: Minería Ilegal en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana
https://www.maapprogram.org/2022/mineria-ecuador/

Acknowledgments

This report is part of a series focused on the Ecuadorian Amazon through a strategic collaboration between the organizations Fundación EcoCiencia and Amazon Conservation, with the support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

MAAP #181: Illegal Gold Mining in Yanomami Indigenous Territory (Brazil)

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map. Illegal mining deforestation alerts in Yanomami Indigenous Territory (northern Brazilian Amazon).

The Brazilian government recently launched a series of raids against illegal gold mining in Yanomami Indigenous Territory, located in the northern Brazilian Amazon (see inset of Base Map).

These raids highlight the severe consequences brought by illegal mining activity, particularly deforestation, contamination, malnutrition, and disease.

Here we present the results of a new machine learning algorithm that analyzes satellite imagery archives across large areas to quickly and precisely detect new gold mining deforestation fronts.

The resolution of these mining deforestation alerts is 10 meters, based on the European Space Agency’s freely available Sentinel-2 satellite imagery data.

These alerts reveal the extent of the gold mining deforestation in Yanomami Indigenous Territory is much greater than realized (see Base Map).

In the Base Map, the red dots indicate the most recent gold mining deforestation alerts, occurring in 2022.

Note that while the raids appear to be concentrated along the Uraricoera River, active gold mining deforestation is actually occurring all throughout the vast northern section of the territory, including the Parima and Mucajai Rivers as well.

We estimate the new gold mining deforestation of over 2,000 hectares since 2019. Much of this deforestation (67%, or 1,350 hectares) occurred most recently in 2022.

Below, we show five examples of this recent gold mining deforestation with high-resolution satellite imagery (3 meters) that confirm the alert detections.

Zooms of Illegal Gold Mining Deforestation, 2020 – 2022

Below, we show five examples of this recent gold mining deforestation with high-resolution (3 meter) satellite imagery that confirm the alert detections (see insets A-E in the Base Map). Note that two of the examples are on the the Uraricoera River, while the other three examples are from other parts of the territory.

Zoom A

Zoom B

Zoom C

Zoom D

Zoom E

Methodology

Gold mining deforestation alerts were generated by Amazon Mining Watch’s updated machine learning algorithim based on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery data.

The Amazon Mining Watch is a partnership between the Pulitzer Center´s Rainforest Investigations Network and Earthrise Media. These two nonprofit organizations have joined forces to bring together the power of machine learning and investigative journalism to shed light on large-scale environmental problems in the Amazon.

 

MAAP #173: Rapid Increase of Mining Deforestation in Yapacana National Park (Venezuelan Amazon)

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map. Recent (2021-22) mining deforestation in Yapacana National Park, Venezuelan Amazon. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet, NICFI.

We continue our series on the Venezuelan Amazon (see MAAP #155), with a special focus on the key protected area of Yapacana National Park.

In recent reports, we showed that Yapacana is currently experiencing intense illegal mining activity with likely thousands of miners (see MAAP #156), including on top of the sacred Yapacana Tepui (see MAAP #169).

Here, we focus on the most active mining zone, located in the southwestern part of the park surrounding the tepui, where mining deforestation has escalated rapidly over the past two years.

We found the new deforestation of over 750 hectares (1,870 acres) within this sector of Yapacana National Park between 2021 and 2022.

The Base Map illustrates this result, with red and yellow showing 2022 and 2021 deforestation, respectively.

Note that some of the recent deforestation (6 hectares) has occurred on top of the tepui.

Below, we zoom in and show this recent deforestation with high-resolution satellite imagery.

 

 

Deforestation 2021-22 in Yapacana National Park

Figure 1 shows the deforestation of 757 hectares between December 2020 (left panel) and October 2022 (right panel) in the southern part of Yapacana National Park surrounding Yapacana Tepui. The arrows point to the major zones before (green) and after (orange) deforestation. The Letters A-D correspond the four zooms below.

Figure 1. Recent deforestation in Yapacana National Park. The arrows point to the major zones before (green) and after (orange) deforestation. The Letters A-D correspond the four zooms below. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet, NICFI.

Zoom A

Zoom A. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet, NICFI

Zoom B

Zoom B. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet, NICFI

Zoom C

Zoom C. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet, NICFI

Zoom D

Zoom D shows the deforestation of 4 hectares between December 2020 (left panel) and October 2022 (right panel) on top of Yapacana Tepui within the national park.

Zoom D. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet, NICFI

 

Accumulated Deforestation

We estimate the accumulated mining deforestation of 1,537 hectares within this southwestern sector of Yapacana National Park. Thus, nearly half (49%) has occurred most recently in 2021-22.

Of the total accumulated deforestation, 17 hectares has occurred on top of the sacred tepui. Over a third (35%) has has occurred most recently in 2021-22.

Acknowledgements

We thank SOS Orinoco for helpful comments on this report.

Citation

Finer M, Ariñez A (2023) Rapid Increase of Mining Deforestation in Yapacana National Park (Venezuelan Amazon). MAAP: 173.

 

MAAP #171: Deforestation in Mining Corridor of Peruvian Amazon (2021-2022)

Posted on by dcadmin
Figure 1. Recent mining deforestation in the Guacamayo zone of the Mining Corridor (Madre de Dios region of the southern Peruvian Amazon). Data: Planet.

Gold mining continues to be one of the main deforestation drivers in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios region).

In a recent report (MAAP #154), we highlighted the key cases of illegal mining in this area.

In an attempt to organize mining activities and promote a formalization process,* the Peruvian government has delimited a large Mining Corridor in Madre de Dios (see Base Map below).

Here, we analyze recent (2021 – 2022) deforestation in the Mining Corridor, using a novel methodology.

Deforestation within its limits is important because, although it may not be illegal, can be considerable due to the large area covered by the Mining Corridor (498,296 hectares, or 1.2 million acres).

The key part of this analysis is the novel ability to distinguish mining deforestation from agriculture deforestation, which is also common in the area.

In summary, we estimate the direct mining deforestation of 11,200 hectares (27,675 acres) in the Mining Corridor over the last two years (2021-22).

Deforestation in the Mining Corridor

Base Map. Mining (red) vs Agriculture (yellow) deforestation within the Mining Corridor in the southern Amazon of Peru (Madre de Dios region), during the years 2021 and 2022. Data: ACCA/MAAP.

We found a total deforestation of 16,000 hectares (39,500 acres) within the Mining Corridor over the past two years (2021 and 2022).

Of this deforestation total, 70% is directly linked to gold mining (11,200 hectares; indicated by red on the Base Map), while the remaining 30%  loss is agricultural expansion (4,800 hectares; indicated by yellow).

In the Base Map, note that mining deforestation is largely concentrated in three general areas:
(A) along the Madre Dios River, (B) the Guacamayo mining zone (also see Figure 1, above), and (C) around the perimeter of the Huepetuhe mining zone.

*Note on the mining formalization process in Peru

In the Mining Corridor, officially called the “Zona de pequeña minería y minería artesanal en el departamento de
Madre de Dios,” declared by Legislative Decree No. 1100, mining activities can be classified into one of three scenarios:

1) Formal: Formalization process completed, with approved environmental and operational permits.
2) Informal: In the process of being formalized, operating in spaces where extraction is allowed and using permitted machinery. This type is considered an administrative offense, not a crime.
3) Illegal: Operating in prohibited areas such as bodies of water (for example, a river or a lake) and/or using prohibited machinery. This type is considered a crime and is punishable by jail.

Methodology

We used LandTrendr, a temporal segmentation algorithm that identifies changes in pixel values through time, to detect forest loss within the mining corridor in 2021 (September 2020 – September 2021) and 2022 (September 2021 – July 2022). It is important to emphasize this method was originally designed for moderate-resolution (30 meters) Landsat imagery,1 but we adapted it for higher-resolution (4.7 meters) NICFI-Planet monthly mosaics.2

Additionally, we created a baseline for the period 2016- 2020 to eliminate old agriculture and mining areas (pre-2021) due to rapid changes in the natural re-vegetation process.

Finally, we manually separated the mining and non-mining forest loss for 2021 and 2022, in order to report specifically on direct mining-related impacts. For this part of the analysis, we used various resources to aid the manual process, such as radar-based alerts (RAMI), CINCIA historical data from 1985 to 2020, and forest loss data from the Peruvian government (PNCB) and the University of Maryland.

1. Kennedy, R.E., Yang, Z., Gorelick, N., Braaten, J., Cavalcante, L., Cohen, W.B., Healey, S. (2018). Implementation of the LandTrendr Algorithm on Google Earth Engine. Remote Sensing. 10, 691.
2.  Erik Lindquist, FAO, 2021

Acknowledgments

We thank S. Otoya for helpful comments on this report.

This report was conducted with technical assistance from USAID, via the Prevent project. Prevent works with the Government of Peru, civil society and the private sector to prevent and combat environmental crimes for the sake of the conservation of the Peruvian Amazon, particularly in the regions of Loreto, Madre de Dios and Ucayali.

This publication is made possible with the support of the American people through USAID. Its content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US government.

 

Citation

Mamani N, Finer M (2022) Deforestation in Mining Corridor of Peruvian Amazon (2021-2022). MAAP: 171.

MAAP #169: Mining on Top of Yapacana Tepui (Yapacana National Park, Venezuela)

Posted on by dcadmin
Figure 1. Active mining on top of Yapacacan tepui in the Venezuelan Amazon. Data: Planet/NICFI (level 2), ACA/MAAP,

Tepuis are stunning table-top mountains found in northern South America. They are considered sacred by indigenous groups of the region; in fact, the word tepui means “house of the gods” in a local indigenous language. Tepuis also have high levels of endemism since they are not connected to other ranges.

However, we have documented active mining operations on top of the Yapacana tepui, located within Yapacana National Park in the Venezuelan Amazon.

In Figure 1 (to the right), observe the Yapacana tepui surrounded by active gold mining operations in Yapacana National Park. Also, note the mining activities on top of the tepui.

As detailed below, by analyzing very high-resolution satellite imagery (Skysat), we found 425 mining data points (including mining camps and machinery) on top of the tepui, indicating rampant mining on this important, and supposedly protected, biogeographical site.

Note that this is in addition to the 8,000 mining data points documented in the surrounding lowlands of Yapacana National Park  (see MAAP #156).

Mining on Top of Yapacana Tepui

Figure 2 serves as our base map, zooming in and showing the top of the tepui without and with the mining data (left and right panel, respectively). Note how the second image brings out previously “invisible” elements within the overall mining area: 425 mining data points (322 camps and 103 pieces of equipment).  Further below are additional Zooms A-C to better visualize the mining camps and equipment with the actual Skyat imagery. Click twice to fully enlarge images below.

Figure 2. Yapacana tepui without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: Planet/NICFI (level 2), ACA/MAAP. Click twice to fully enlarge.

Zoom A

Zoom A. Mining equipment and camps on Yapacana tepui, without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: Planet, ACA/MAAP. Click twice to fully enlarge.

Zoom B

Zoom B. Mining equipment and camps on Yapacana tepui, without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: Planet, ACA/MAAP. Click twice to fully enlarge.

Zoom C

Zoom C. Mining equipment and camps on Yapacana tepui, without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: Planet, ACA/MAAP. Click twice to fully enlarge.

Zoom D

Zoom D. Mining equipment and camps on Yapacana tepui, without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: Planet, ACA/MAAP. Click twice to fully enlarge.

Zoom E

Zoom E. Mining equipment and camps on Yapacana tepui, without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: Planet, ACA/MAAP. Click twice to fully enlarge.

Methodology

We tasked very high-resolution Skysat satellite imagery (0.5 meters), using the host company Planet’s tasking dashboard, for the Yapacana tepui. We then closely and manually analyzed these images, documenting both mining camps and equipment. We researched aerial examples of mining areas in other countries to improve our identification abilities.

Acknowledgements

We thank the organization SOSOrinoco for important information and comments related to this report.

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2022) Mining on Top of Yapacana Tepui (Yapacana National Park, Venezuela). MAAP: 169.

MAAP #155: Deforestation Hotspots in the Venezuelan Amazon

Posted on by dcadmin
Amazon Base Map. Forest Carbon Flux across the Amazon, 2001-2020. Data: Harris et al 2021. Analysis: Amazon Conservation/MAAP.

We present here the first report of a series focused on the Venezuelan Amazon, which covers over 47 million hectares of the northern section of the Amazon biome (above western Brazil).

As the Amazon Base Map indicates, Venezuela is a key part to the remaining core Amazon that is still functioning as a critical carbon sink, making it an important piece to long-term conservation strategies.

However, deforestation has been increasing in recent years (see graph in Base Map), indicating escalating threats.

Specifically, there is a clear trend of increasing primary forest loss since 2015, including a recent spike in 2019.

We estimate the loss of over 140,000 hectares (345,000 acres) over the past four years, accounting for 1.6% of the total loss across the Amazon during that time period.

Below, we investigate the major hotspots and drivers of deforestation currently in the Venezuelan Amazon.

 

 

Venezuela Base Map. Hotspots of primary forest loss across the Venezuelan Amazon (2017-2020). UMD/GLAD, MAAP.

The Venezuela base map shows the major hotspots of primary forest loss across the Venezuelan Amazon over the past four years (2017-2020).

Note that most hotspots are within the Orinoco Mining Arc, a large area over 11 million hectares created by a controversial presidential decree in 2016 designed to promote mining (SOSOrinoco 2021), as well as within and around the extensive network of protected areas.

These protected areas cover 43% (20 million hectares) of the Venezuelan Amazon and accounted for around 30% of total forest loss. The most impacted areas in recent years are Caura, Canaima, and Yapacana National Parks (over 22,000 hectares combined).

We zoomed in on these hotspots and found that mining, fires, and agriculture (including cattle pasture) are the three primary deforestation drivers across the Venezuelan Amazon. There may be complex interactions between these drivers, such as mining centers leading to fires and agricultural expansion to support the new mining population.

It is worth noting that Venezuela joins Peru, Brazil, and Suriname as countries where mining is now documented to be actively driving major deforestation of primary forest.

We also note that, as in the rest of the Amazon, virtually all fires are caused by humans (that is, not natural events) and most are likely linked to preparing land for agricultural activities. During drier periods, these fires may escape, causing larger forest fires.

Below, we illustrate these drivers in a series of high-resolution (3 meters) and very high-resolution (0.5 meters) images.

High-resolution Zooms

Mining

Zoom A. Yapacana National Park

Yapacana National Park, which is a unique mosaic of natural savannas and forest, is currently experiencing deforestation impacts from active mining operations. We show two examples of recent mining in the Cerro Yapacana mining sector, featuring very-high resolution imagery from late 2021 (see Zooms A1 and A2). These two areas have lost over 550 hectares since the early 2000s.

Zoom A1. Mining deforestation in Yapacana National Park. Data: Planet/Skysat.
Zoom A2. Mining deforestation in Yapacana National Park. Data: Planet/Skysat.

 

Zoom B. Caura National Park

Caura National Park is also experiencing active mining activity. Below are two examples of recent mining activity, featuring very-high resolution imagery from early 2022 (see Zooms B1 and B2).

 

Zoom B1. Mining deforestation in Caura National Park. Data: Planet/Skysat.

 

Zoom B2. Mining deforestation in Caura National Park. Data: Planet/Skysat.

Zoom C. Canaima National Park

The following image shows the recent expansion of mining deforestation in Canaima National Park between 2017 (left panel) and 2020 (right panel).

Zoom C. Mining deforestation in Canaima National Park. Data: Planet/Skysat.

Zoom D: Orinoco Mining Arc

To the north of these protected areas, there is both industrial and river-based mining deforestation in the Orinoco Mining Arc. Zoom D shows an example of major river-based mining deforestation (over 1,800 hectares) between 2017 and 2020, plus a very-high resolution imagery from late 2021.

Zoom D. Mining deforestation in the Orinoco Mining Arc. Data: Planet.

Agriculture

Zoom E shown an example of agricultural expansion (likely cattle ranching) in the northeastern section of the Orinoco Mining Arc. We estimate the forest loss shown in the panels between 2017 and 2020 is over 400 hectares.

Zoom E. Agricultuire deforestation in the Orinoco Mining Arc. Data: Planet.

Fire

Finally, Zooms F and G show recent examples of major fires impacts. Zoom F is an area that experienced major fires in 2019 within and around Canaima National Park. We estimate the forest loss shown in the panels between 2017 and 2020 is 1,175 hectares.

Zoom F. Major fires in 2019 within and around Canaima National Park. Data: Planet.

Zoom G is an area that experienced major fires in 2020 in the near mining sites in the western section of the Orinoco Mining Arc. We estimate the forest loss shown in the panels between 2017 and 2020 is 1,128 hectares.

Zoom G. Major fires in 2020 in the Orinoco Mining Arc. Data: Planet.

Methodology

For a study area with maximum inclusion, for the Venezuelan Amazon we used the wider biogeographic boundary (as defined by RAISG) rather than the strict Amazon watershed boundary (which actually only includes a small portion of Venezuela).

We obtained data for the Orinoco Mining Arc (Arco Minero del Orinoco) and protected areas from the organization SOSOrinoco. The latter dataset contains Areas Under Special Administration Regime (Áreas Bajo Régimen de Administración Especial – ABRAE), which meet the IUCN international definition of protected areas: national parks, natural monuments, wildlife refuges, reserves and sanctuaries.

We used “primary forest loss” data as our proxy for 2002-2020 annual deforestation. This 30-meter resolution (based on Landsat) data is produced by the University of Maryland and presented by Global Forest Watch. Note that it includes forest loss from fires and natural causes. 2021 early warning alert data is also from University of Maryland.

To identify primary forest loss hotspots, we conducted a kernel density estimate. This type of analysis calculates the magnitude per unit area of a particular phenomenon, in this case forest cover loss. We conducted this analysis using the Kernel Density tool from Spatial Analyst Tool Box of ArcGIS.

Finally, we investigated the major hotspots with both high resolution (3 meters) and very high resolution (0.5 meters) satellite imagery from the company Planet to identify causes (drivers).

References

SOSOrinoco. 2021. Deforestation & Changes in Vegetation &  Land Use Cover within the so-called Orinoco Mining Arc between 2000-2020.

Acknowledgements

We thank the organization SOSOrinoco for important information and comments related to this report.

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2022) Deforestation Hotspots in the Venezuelan Amazon. MAAP: 155.

MAAP #156: Intense Mining Activity in Yapacana National Park (Venezuelan Amazon)

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map: Mining areas in Yapacana National Park. Data: SOS Orinoco, ACA/MAAP, Planet.

We present the second report in our series focused on the Venezuelan Amazon.

The first (MAAP #155) documented the loss of over 140,000 hectares (345,000 acres) of primary forest over the past four years. We also zoomed in on the major hotspots, showing that mining is one of the primary deforestation drivers, including in protected areas.

Here we focus on a key protected area, Yapacana National Park.

The park, created in 1978, is a key biogeographical site, with diverse ecosystems (including white sand savannahs), high endemism and biodiversity, and unique Guiana Shield outcrops. Illegal mining started in the park in the 1980s and started to surge in the 2000s (see SOS Orinoco 2020 for details on the complex socio-political issues).

We show Yapacana National Park is currently experiencing intense illegal mining activity.

Specifically, we carried out a detailed estimate of current mining camps and machinery, based on recent and very high-resolution Skysat satellite imagery from Planet (0.5 meters).

We found over 8,000 mining data points (over 4,100 camps and 3,800 pieces of machinery), indicating that Yapacana National Park may currently be the most impacted site in the Amazon (replacing the case La Pampa in the buffer zone of Tambopata National Reserve, in the southern Peruvian Amazon), based on density of mining-related activity.

The goal of this report is to precisely inform the international community about the magnitude of the crisis in Yapacana National Park in hopes of an eventual solution.

Intense Mining in Yapacana National Park

The Base Map (see above) shows the major mining sectors in Yapacana National Park and our Skysat coverage over the recent time period of December 2021 to March 2022 (vertical dark green polygons). In this area, we recorded an astounding 8,214 mining data points (4,167 camps and 3,884 pieces of machinery). This finding is consistent with previous estimates that there are over 2,000 illegal miners operating in the park (and even indicates that this is an underestimate).

The Letters A-C correspond to the zoom images below.


Zoom A: Cerro Yapacana (north)

Zoom A centers on a major mining area in the Cerro Yapacana sector that experienced the deforestation of 360 hectares since the early 2000s, including a spike starting in 2016. It shows a very high-resolution Skysat image from early December 2021, with and without the mining data (left and right panel, respectively). Note how the second image brings out previously “invisible” elements within the overall mining area: 945 mining data points (413 camps and 532 equipment).  Further below, Zooms A1 and A2 further illustrate this point.

Zoom A. Mining activity in the Cerro Yapacana northern sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).
Zoom A1. Mining activity in the Cerro Yapacana sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).
Zoom A2. Mining activity in the Cerro Yapacana sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).

Zoom B: Cerro Yapacana (south)

Zoom B centers on a major mining area in the Cerro Yapacana sector that experienced the deforestation of 175 hectares since the early 2000s, including a spike starting in 2014. It shows a very high-resolution Skysat image from early December 2021, with and without the mining data (left and right panel, respectively). Note how the second image brings out previously “invisible” elements within the overall mining area: 1,175 mining data points (667 camps and 508 equipment). Again, note how the second image brings out previously “invisible” elements within the overall mining area. Zooms B1 and B2 further illustrate this point.

Zoom B. Mining activity in the Cerro Yapacana southern sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).
Zoom B1. Mining activity in the Cerro Yapacana southern sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).
Zoom B2. Mining activity in the Cerro Yapacana southern sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).

Zoom C: Cerro Moyo

Lastly, Zoom C centers on a major mining area in the Cerro Moyo sector that experienced the deforestation of 240 hectares since the early 2000s, including a spike starting in 2011. It shows a very high-resolution Skysat image from March 2022, with and without the mining data (left and right panel, respectively). Again, note how the second image brings out previously “invisible” elements within the overall mining area: 579 data points (55 camps and 524 equipment). Zoom C1 further illustrates this point.

Zoom C. Mining activity in the Cerro Moyo sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).
Zoom C1. Mining activity in the Cerro Moyo sector without (left panel) and with (right panel) the mining data. Data: ACA/MAAP, Planet (Skysat).

Methodology

We tasked very high-resolution Skysat satellite imagery (0.5 meters), using the host company Planet’s tasking dashboard, of known mining locations in Yapacana National Park. We then closely and manually analyzed these images, documenting both mining camps and equipment. We researched aerial examples of mining areas in other countries to improve our identification abilities.

As a guide to locate key mining zones in these areas, we used mining area data produced by the organization SOS Orinoco, which used manual visual interpretation methods to identify these areas.

References

BirdLife International. Yapacana National Park (Parque Nacional Yapacana IBA). http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/14941

Castillo R. y V. Salas. 2007. Estado de Conservación del Parque Nacional Yapacana. Reporte Especial. En: BioParques: Programa Observadores de Parques

SOS Orinoco. 2019. La Minería Aurífera en el Parque Nacional Yapacana Amazonas Venezolano: Un caso de extrema urgencia ambiental y geopolítica, nacional e internacional.

SOS Orinoco. 2020. La Minería Aurífera en el Parque Nacional Yapacana, Amazonas Venezolano | Un caso de extrema urgencia ambiental y geopolítica, nacional e internacional – Actualización al 2020.

Acknowledgements

We thank the organization SOSOrinoco for important information and comments related to this report.

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2022) Intense Mining Activity in Yapacana National Park (Venezuelan Amazon). MAAP: 156.