Opinion – Marcia Castro: Rivers of gold and destruction

river of gold. This is what appeared to be seen in an image captured by the International Space Station in December 2020. These were not rivers. They were scars from illegal mining in the Amazon seen from space. There are other scars that are revealed locally: conflicts and violence, violation of human rights, destruction of indigenous peoples and their culture, transmission of diseases, mercury poisoning, and environmental destruction, among others.

This is the reality portrayed in the documentary “Rios de Ouro”. The result of an extremely courageous initiative, the documentary reports illegal mining in Peru, on the headwaters of the Amazon River. The images leave no doubt: part of the forest is destroyed, another is forever poisoned with mercury. It is estimated that 250 tons of earth must be removed to obtain enough gold to make an alliance. In addition, for every kilogram of gold extracted through mining, about 1.3 kilograms of mercury are released.

In Brazil, the expansion of illegal mining has intensified in recent years, especially in protected areas. According to Mapbiomas, comparing 2010 with 2021, the growth of mining in indigenous areas was 632% and in conservation units, 352%. As of 2019, more than half of the mining area in Brazil was covered by garimpo, which had not happened since 1998.

The expansion of illegal mining was driven by the speech of the current government and changes in the law, part of the strategy of “passing the cattle”. The ability to trace the entire logistics chain of gold extracted through illegal mining is still limited. An important step was taken thanks to the work of the UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) and the Public Ministry, which showed that the majority of illegally sourced gold production is concentrated in the Amazon, especially in the state of Pará. The two indigenous areas most affected by illegal mining in 2021 are also in Pará (Kayapó and Munduruku peoples).

Between 2005 and 2015, when deforestation was falling and the scenario was therefore very different from the current one, illegal mining represented around 9% of deforestation in the Amazon, causing destruction within a radius of up to 70 km from the central area of ​​the mining. .

Illegal mining, intense deforestation, fires that project more carbon dioxide (CO_two) than the forest absorbs. The herd passes by and leaves a trail of destruction that affects local peoples, Brazil and the world. I highlight three reports released last week.

Reductions in CO emissions_two are far below the target set by the Paris Agreement, as shown by the United Nations. Emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 compared to 2010. Without a change in current trend, however, there would be an increase of 10.6%. That means more extreme weather events.

UNICEF has shown the current and future consequences of extreme heat on children’s health and development. In 2020, 18% of those under 18 in Brazil were exposed, on average, to at least 4.5 heat waves. By 2050, this percentage could reach 98%.

An assessment of the Forest Declaration showed that global deforestation in 2021, compared to 2018-20, was reduced by 6.3%. Brazil, however, led the ranking of countries that deforested the most in 2021. It was also the country with the second largest increase in emissions.

Brazil needs to do its part to keep its future as a nation viable. As Chico Mendes said: “At first I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realize I’m fighting for humanity.”

May this struggle, and our future, be rescued.