User:Daniellleee0982/Illegal mining

Illegal mining
Illegal mining is the extraction of precious metals without following the proper procedures to participate in legal mining activity. These procedures include permits and licenses for exploration of the land, mining and transportation. Large-scale mining operations are owned by large companies nationally and use advanced technology to extract metals; these operations use open-pit mining. Artisanal small-scale mining operations are labour-intensive mining because miners do not use machinery to extract the metals. Informal mining occurs when artisanal small-scale mining operations proceed in mining activity without the proper legal licenses. These operations are still illegal but it is not an indictable offence such as illegal mining operations organized by criminal groups. Organized crime groups lead and control illegal mining activity in extremely rural areas where the state does not have full jurisdiction over the land. Criminally organized illegal mining controls large-scale operations that violate all the laws and environment while mining. Corruption in privately owned large-scale mining and artisanal small-scale mining operations occurs because the operations delegate their power to local authorities. The lack of coordination allows loopholes for corruption. The laws and procedures surrounding mining lessen the impact on the environment and are violated by large and artisanal small-scaling contributing to environmental damage.

Environmental impacts
Illegal mining has many consequences which have a major impact on the environment that in some cases is irreparable due to the carelessness of miners. Illegal miners lack knowledge about the environment they are mining causing the land and natural systems to be destroyed by the activity. Miners' careless actions include abandoning open-pit mines that are not backfilled, which creates hazards for humans and animals can die by falling into the pits. Illegal miners’ violations of the environment cause water pollution, deforestation, and soil erosion and degradation. These factors affect ecosystems and biodiversity in the area. Illegal mining exploits precious metals which contributes to the depletion of natural resources that go undocumented.

Water pollution
Illegal gold mining operations used heavy metals such as mercury and cyanide to extract gold from waste material. The mercury and cyanide leach into the natural environment causing pollution. Illegal miners often dump excess mercury into the nearby waterways for disposal. Water pollution affects surrounding communities, aquatic ecosystems and land ecosystems due to the hydraulic cycle. The polluted water is used for irrigation of farmland and community use, this further spreads pollution which leads to illness and death.

Deforestation
Deforestation occurs during illegal mining operations so mining operations have room to function. As forests are clear-cut and the ground is mined, ecosystems collapse due to habitat loss. Carbon emissions increase drastically due to the clearcutting of forests in regions where illegal mining occurs. Deforestation contributes to soil erosion since the roots of trees provide the soil with stability. There have been many efforts to protect and rehabilitate forest ecosystems in recent years to prevent and limit the effects of deforestation.

Soil erosion and degradation
Illegal mining causes soil erosion and degradation which leads to barren lands where nothing can survive. Soil erosion reduces soil fertility which affects agricultural lands. Soil degradation occurs (1) when removing topsoil affects the fertility of the soil and decreases the chance of restoring vegetation. (2) When toxic chemicals pollute soil to an extent where plants cannot grow. The toxins deplete the soil's nutrients and inhibit vegetation. (3) When large amounts of mining waste such as rock, sediment and soil that lacks nutrients are dumped onto the land it stops the growth of plants. This waste engulfs topsoil taking away fertility. Poorly contained mining tails are hazardous to the environment because there are no efforts to treat the soil to get rid of toxic chemicals. Soil erosion leads to natural hazards such as landslides due to loose soil and flooding.

Crime
Latin America is the centre of the global drug trade since most drugs are produced. Organized crime groups such as drug cartels realized the profitability and began to illegally mine precious metals. These groups were able to get control of large amounts of land away from government surveillance. This allowed the cartels to earn a larger profit than the drug trade with lower risk. Illegal mining operations controlled by organized crime groups are hazardous to the miners but many are drawn to the work due to the effect it has on the surrounding environment. Child labour is very common in the mines because children are trafficked and forced into work. Adults are also exploited, trafficked and forced into unsafe labour conditions.

Farming
Illegal mining operations affect surrounding agriculture. Cocoa farming in Ghana is impacted by illegal mining activity because of land degradation and availability. There is less available land for farming causing competition and higher costs for farmers. The illegal miners trespass through farmland to construct roads through farms destroying the cocoa trees in the process. They also mine on the farmland which is where many farmers die because of falling into the pits. Illegal mining operations cause flooding with polluted water that affects the maturation of the cocoa pods. Flooding depletes soil fertility, increases erosion and affects the farmer's ability to grow cocoas trees. These factors contribute to farmers’ fear of losing their livelihood due to the losses that are caused by illegal mining.

Malaria
Abandoned open-pit mines cause an increase in the mosquito population which can increase the spread of malaria. These pits fill up with stagnant or slow-moving bodies of water where mosquitoes can breed and their larvae can grow. Due to the increase in population, mosquitoes have a greater risk of carrying malaria. When illegal mining operations abandon their pits, there is no way for local authorities to track and prevent the open pits to decrease the spread. Illegal miners also do not take proper precautions to protect themselves when mining and it increases the risk of transmission.