New from MAAP: Illegal Mining in Protected Areas of the Ecuadorian Amazon
October 17, 2024
In previous reports (MAAP #182, MAAP #219), evidence has shown that mining activities have increased in the Ecuadorian Amazon, drastically affecting protected areas and Indigenous territories.
Now, our newest report from MAAP, MAAP #221, provides an in-depth analysis of four protected areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon that are currently threatened by mining activities. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery, this report details the impacts of these mining activities in the following areas:
- Podocarpus and Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Parks,
- Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve, and
- El Zarza Wildlife Refuge.
The analysis’s findings show that mining deforestation deep within Podocarpus National Park, along the Loyola River, has increased to 50 hectares, representing a growth of 125% between 2023 and 2024.
In other examples, we show how the rapid mining expansion within their buffer zones has recently penetrated the boundaries of the Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park and the Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve.
Read the full report here.