Click here to sign in with or
Forget Password?
Learn more
share this!
53
31
Share
Email
September 12, 2022
by Clark University
New research published in PNAS today showed that, out of 26 countries, Indonesia accounted for 58.2% of the tropical deforestation directly caused by industrial mining activities. Brazil, Ghana and Suriname also stood out in the study, which underscored the need for stronger measures to protect tropical forests from destructive economic activities like mining.
The researchers overlapped the geographic coordinates of industrial mines in operation from 2000–2019 with forest loss data from the Global Forest Change dataset for the same period. The data covered 26 countries representing 76.7% of the total tropical deforestation observed from 2000–2019. Coal extraction in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan drove the mining-related deforestation in the country. The deforestation from iron ore and gold mining in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais was clearly visible in the satellite data, while bauxite and gold mining were predominant in Ghana and Suriname.
Industrial mining also had widespread indirect impacts on deforestation. More than two-thirds of the countries studied had, within 50 kilometers of the areas designated for mines, higher rates of deforestation that were not connected to other factors.
“Against the rapidly growing demands for minerals, in particular for metals for renewable energy and e-mobility technologies, government and industry policies must take into account both the direct and indirect impacts of extraction,” said Anthony Bebbington, Ph.D., Higgins Professor of Environment and Society at Clark University’s Graduate School of Geography and corresponding author for the study. “Addressing these impacts is an important tool for conserving tropical forests and protecting the livelihoods of communities who live in these forests.”
For Indonesia, Brazil and Ghana, tropical deforestation from industrial mining peaked from 2010–2014 but continues today. Coal mining in Indonesia in particular doubled in this time period as output grew to match increased demand from China and India. The scope of forest destruction in the country stood out in the study, especially in East Kalimantan which lost 19% of its tree cover in the past two decades. The province, the center of coal mining for the country, hosts the construction site of the future national capital Nusantara, a city being built where a timber plantation once stood—and a tropical forest before that.
The study points to the need for Environmental Impact Statements and other permitting requirements for industrial mining to include a broader geographic scope that includes more territory outside of the project concession area. Applications for new mining projects should also not be examined in isolation; the cumulative impacts of other projects, such as agricultural developments, need to be considered.
“There is a broad range of environmental damage caused by mining operations on top of deforestation, including destruction of ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, disruption of water sources, the production of hazardous waste and pollution,” said Stefan Giljum, lead author of the study and associate professor at the Institute for Ecological Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business. “Government permitting should take all of this into account; an industrial mine can easily disrupt both landscapes and ecosystems. Industrial mining remains a hidden weakness in their strategies to minimize environmental impacts.”
“Although Indonesia’s total deforestation has declined annually since 2015, these findings emphasize the continued need for strong land use planning to ensure mining does not destroy forests or violate community rights,” said Hariadi Kartodihardjo, Ph.D., Professor of Forest Policy at Bogor Agricultural University.
Previous research in the Brazilian Amazon has shown that acknowledging and enforcing the collective property rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities is one of the most effective ways to prevent deforestation, as deforestation in their territories is significantly lower than in places managed by other government or private entities.
The most recent United Nations climate report concurred, stating, “Supporting Indigenous self-determination, recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ rights and supporting Indigenous knowledge-based adaptation are critical to reducing climate change risks and effective adaptation.”
The study did not include direct deforestation from artisanal and small-scale mining, as standardized global databases with geographic coordinates for such operations do not yet exist in forms that are amenable to statistical analysis. But the authors recognize that artisanal and small-scale mining, as well as illicit mining, generate significant environmental damage that demands scrutiny, response and remediation.
Explore further
Explore further
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Feedback to editors
14 hours ago
0
15 hours ago
0
Sep 09, 2022
0
Sep 09, 2022
0
Sep 09, 2022
15
19 minutes ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
7 hours ago
7 hours ago
7 hours ago
7 hours ago
Aug 11, 2022
Aug 11, 2022
Aug 11, 2022
Aug 11, 2022
Aug 11, 2022
Aug 11, 2022
More from Physics Forums | Science Articles, Homework Help, Discussion
Feb 14, 2022
Oct 18, 2017
May 28, 2021
Apr 08, 2022
Nov 12, 2021
Jul 01, 2022
9 hours ago
13 hours ago
Sep 10, 2022
Sep 09, 2022
Sep 09, 2022
Sep 09, 2022
Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines).
Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request
Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.
Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.
Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient’s address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.
Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we’ll never share your details to third parties.
More information Privacy policy
Medical research advances and health news
The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances
The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web
This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.