Illegal mining in the Amazon rainforest has become an ‘epidemic’ in Brazil.
Illegal artisanal mining across the Amazon rainforest has been revealed in an new map published the Amazon Socio-environmental Information Project, pinpointing over 2000 sites in 215 areas across the Amazon.
Called “garimpo” in Brazil, artisanal mining for precious metals has been a problem for decades, but is becoming increasingly common and widespread. The illegal mining brings deforestation as well as trade in drugs and arms in communities where “garimpo” camps are established.