In Less than a Generation, Legal Mining in Colombia Deforested Over 120,000 Hectares
In less than a generation, legal mining in Colombia deforested over 120,000 hectares June 11, 2021
A study by researchers in Colombia found that forest clearing by legal mining operations has increased sharply in recent years.
The study shows that just 1% of the 8,600 legal mining concessions in the country account for 60% of the deforestation associated with the sector.
The authors say that if mining titles continue to be granted at current rates, Colombia could lose 400,000 hectares (990,000 acres) of forest from legal mining alone over the next two decades.