In Zimbabwe, thousands of illegal gold miners are polluting water and land, endangering local communities and ecosystems with mercury usage.
Andrew Mambondiyani reports for The Telegraph.
In short:
- Illegal miners in Zimbabwe are extensively using mercury, contaminating water supplies and the food chain, affecting humans and livestock.
- The economic desperation has driven nearly 800,000 people into dangerous, unregulated gold mining, destroying natural resources and infrastructure.
- Efforts to ban mercury use in mining have been undermined by illegal trade, even as studies highlight the severe health risks of mercury exposure.
Key quote:
"The illegal gold miners are now everywhere. They are polluting our water and environment with mercury. Our livestock is also drinking this poisoned water; our crops are irrigated with the poisoned water. And the mercury is finding its way into our food chain."
— Weston Makoni, chairman of the Penhalonga Residents Association
Why this matters:
The allure of gold has drawn both large-scale mining operations and artisanal miners to Zimbabwe's rich deposits, but at a considerable environmental cost. Conflicts between mining companies and local communities don’t just happen in developing countries.
