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Article

14 Jul 2015

Author:
Forest Peoples Programme

Guyana: NGO reports on forest destruction & other harms caused by mining operation licences

“Gold For Green Forests”

…Mining accounts for over 90 percent of forest destruction in Guyana. Lush rainforest rich in plant and animal species is converted into lunar landscapes of mud piles, tree stumps and turquoise colored, contaminated puddles and ponds. The hunt for gold is a haphazard affair. Miners enter into virgin forests with their machines and chemicals, and often leave ecological disaster areas in their wake. For every kilogram of gold recovered, a kilogram of mercury is released into the environment, according to a report written by Masum Farooki and Sohinee Mazumdar…Calculations show that 9708 permits for the exploration and development of gold and precious stones were issued in the five year period following the agreement signed between Norway and Guyana in 2009. That is more than double compared with the five years preceding the Climate and Forest Agreement when 4365 licenses to small and medium sized mining operations were granted…The Government of Guyana will now increase revenue from the mining of gold, diamonds and bauxite. Mining companies from Canada, USA, Brazil and Australia are heading into the rainforest. The companies' geological experts have identified potential mineral riches and received licenses for large scale production. The billions in foreign investment is expected to triple volumes of gold production until 2020…