Mining and the enviroment
in progress
They can be found in cars, houses and cell phones - metallic raw materials are used in countless everyday products and our lives would be unthinkable without them. The growing world population and the rapid spread of electronic devices mean that the demand for metals is constantly increasing.
The world market of mineral resources
The largest deposits of metallic raw materials are usually located in the poorest countries of the world. Indonesia, for example, is the most important tin exporter and the Democratic Republic of Congo is at the forefront of global cobalt mining. The small African country of Guinea has the world's largest bauxite reserves of 7,400 million tons - in addition, Jamaica, Australia, Brazil and India are among the most important countries of origin for aluminum ore.
What exactly are metallic raw materials?
Metallic raw materials include all metals or ores from which metals are refined - for example iron ore (steel), bauxite (aluminum), copper, nickel and gold. They are extracted from the earth's surface and, unlike renewable raw materials, are not renewable.
Metallic ores and precious metals usually have to be dug underground in mines and galleries. Underground mining also includes deep-sea mining, in which heavy drilling equipment penetrates the sensitive seabed and transports metals such as manganese, cobalt and nickel to the surface.
One industry - two players
While "Large Scale Mining" (LSM) refers to large, industrial mining operations using heavy equipment, "Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining" (ASM) refers to small-scale mining operations using very simple mechanical methods.
This deforestation not only causes a great loss of biodiversity - it also leads to people moving into areas where nature was previously largely untouched. Roads, railways, dams and power lines are being built to create an infrastructure for mining operations. New workers are settling down, claiming settlement land and farming - developments that have further negative impacts.
Use and pollution of water, soil and air
Every year, the extraction of raw materials swallows vast amounts of water. The mining sector accounts for up to 4.5 percent of the average water use in the affected countries. The effect: Groundwater tables sink, rivers dry up and, especially in times of drought, the entire region suffers from massive water shortages.
A further problem is the pollution of groundwater by pollutants and heavy metals that are released during mining. Large quantities of the contaminated water or sludge are stored in sedimentation tanks and stockpiles. In ore deposits, this results in highly toxic, acidic mine water, also known as "acid mine drainage" (AMD). If this substance seeps uncontrolled into the earth, it can poison soil and groundwater for thousands of years.
Equally toxic are the emissions that are released into the air during clearing, excavation, transport and blasting operations. Even for people who live several kilometers away from the mines, respiratory problems and severe lung diseases are part of everyday life.
Human rights violations and social consequences
It is estimated that more than 40 million people worldwide work in small-scale mining - at least 150 million are directly dependent on this income. The profession of mining worker is one of the most dangerous in the world: around eight percent of all fatal accidents at work pass
In progress
Source: WWF Mining