Study Finds That Allowing Artisanal Mining Harms the Environment
A study carried out by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Peruvian Amazon has discovered that the formalization of mining operations that operate on a small-scale may do more harm than good to the environment. According to the researchers, formalization may prompt the expansion of these operations, which can lead to more dangerous mining, especially if proper environmental impact assessments aren’t conducted or enforced. The research, reported in the “Environmental Research Letters” journal, centers on the events that took place between 2001 and 201 at the Tambopata National Reserve. During that period, the demand for gold increased significantly,…