Peru's Operation Mercury stopped most illegal gold mining in one

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a lifeline for many who live in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru, where poverty is high and jobs are scarce. But the economic development in this part of the basin comes at a cost, as it causes deforestation, build up of sediment in rivers, and mercury contamination in nearby watersheds, threatening public health, Indigenous peoples, and the future of the biodiversity hotspot. And much of the mining activity is unauthorized.

How Conservation is Cracking Down on Illegal Mining with

Grim Prospects for Sustainable Mining in Peru

Has regularizing illegal activities helped to protect Peru's

Exploring the Parallel Economy That Illegal Gold Mining Created in

forests capture high levels of atmospheric mercury

Finding Gold Mining Hotspots in Peru

Who Did This To Peru's Jungle?

Peru cracks down on illegal gold mining - SWI

Peru's Media-Friendly Mining Ban Conceals Toxic Inaction

Perceptions and realities of mercury contamination in a Peruvian

MAAP #154: Illegal Gold Mining in the Peruvian – 2022