- In the Ecuadoran Amazon, a boom in legal and illegal gold mining has sparked Indigenous land rights conflicts and water contamination in the Anzu and Jatunyacu rivers.
- Recently analyzed water samples from the region reveal high concentrations of toxic metals, such as lead and aluminum, that are up to 500% higher than permissible limits.
- In some of the sites studied, aquatic insects had disappeared, indicating high levels of pollution and serious health impacts to communities relying on the rivers for water and fish.
- Recent court hearings have ordered mining companies to offer reparations to affected communities and undertake clear consultation processes.
In Ecuador’s central Napo province, legal and illegal gold mining in rivers is expanding, causing freshwater contamination and conflict among communities living in the Anzu and Jatunyacu river basins, according to recent studies and Indigenous organizations. The findings, signaling a gold rush in the Amazonian province, identify several new mining concessions and their environmental impacts between December 2019 and January 2022.
Source: Gold rush in Ecuador’s Amazon region threatens 1,500 communities








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