Brazil’s Amazon is facing its greatest threat from gold mining, according to a recent study by the nonprofit Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). The analysis reveals that the area mined for gold in the Amazon in 2024 was twenty times larger than in 1985, and on Indigenous lands the expansion was even more pronounced, with mining covering twenty‑four times as much land and growing nearly sevenfold between 2016 and 2024.
Economic drivers and local impacts
Record‑high gold prices, fueled by investor demand for safe assets amid rising global risks, have sparked a renewed rush into the region. This boom has accelerated deforestation and introduced mercury contamination into rivers that Indigenous communities rely on for drinking water, food, and transportation.
IPAM warns that the surge in illegal mining is worsening climate risks for Indigenous peoples. Climate change has already intensified droughts and heat across the Amazon, and extreme weather events now threaten access to water, food, health care and safe travel.
Health and safety concerns
Leaders of the Munduruku Indigenous Territory in Pará reported a spike in malaria cases, higher infant mortality, and mercury‑related delays in children’s language and motor development. The community says illegal miners have returned after federal operations in 2024 and 2025 temporarily expelled them.
In August, Indigenous watchdogs identified ten new illegal mining sites within the Munduruku territory alone.
Government response
Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazilian authorities have intensified efforts to combat illegal mining. Police and environmental agencies have conducted major operations targeting criminal networks, and investigators are increasingly using forensic science to trace gold and identify illegally mined metal.
Despite these actions, enforcement remains uneven. When officials destroy equipment in one area, miners often relocate or resume operations once authorities withdraw.
On September 10, Brazil’s Ministry of Human Rights confirmed that officials attended hearings with the Munduruku people and discussed continued territorial enforcement, improvements to water supply, food safety, and a more detailed technical response to mercury contamination.
Broader context
Brazilian law prohibits mining on Indigenous lands, yet illegal operations persist as part of a transnational criminal economy that links gold extraction, drug trafficking and armed groups. The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib) stresses that protecting the Munduruku territory requires more than simply removing invaders; it demands comprehensive action against the criminal networks that fuel the mining rush.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
