Goldmining Pollution Abatement

The gold mining pollution abatement component of the WWF Guianas forestry program contributes to the improved management of the small to medium scale goldmining sector, in order to reduce the pressure exerted on priority ecosystems of the Guianas so that they can maintain and eventually restore their biological diversity.

Goldmining plays a significant economic role in the Guianas, especially in the marginalized communities of the interior. During the 1990s, a new gold rush caused a vast increase of people to engage in the sector. Nowadays, approximately 100,000 people benefit directly or indirectly from these activities.

They range from the national and Brazilian gold miners, to the operators, concession holders, and heavy equipment owners. Security agents, transporters, gold buyers, jewelers, and others gain as well. The rudimentary nature of small to medium scale gold mining activities often generates a legacy of extensive degradation and deplorable social conditions, both during and after activities have ceased.

Gold deposits in the Guianas are associated with the Greenstone Belt, an ancient metamorphic rock formation that cuts through the Guianas from east to west. They have attracted both local and foreign interests most of which are small to medium scale operations (about 3000 to 4000 units). Many of these operations are legal in Guyana, while in Suriname most of them are illegal, exploiting gold on exploration permits.

In general, they are poorly managed, creating extensive damage to the natural environment with significant negative ecological, biological, physical and health impacts. Worldwide an estimated 3400 tons of mercury is released annually into the environment due to unsound goldmining practices, threatening the health of the various ecosystems, as well as the livelihood and the health of local communities in the interior.