A pantropical assessment of deforestation caused by industrial mining

Abstract

Growing demand for minerals continues to drive deforestation worldwide. Tropical forests are particularly vulnerable to the environmental impacts of mining and mineral processing. Many local- to regional-scale studies document extensive, long-lasting impacts of mining on biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, the full scope of deforestation induced by industrial mining across the tropics is yet unknown. Here, we present a biome-wide assessment to show where industrial mine expansion has caused the most deforestation from 2000 to 2019. We find that 3,264 km2 of forest was directly lost due to industrial mining, with 80% occurring in only four countries: Indonesia, Brazil, Ghana, and Suriname. Additionally, controlling for other nonmining determinants of deforestation, we find that mining caused indirect forest loss in two-thirds of the investigated countries. Our results illustrate significant yet unevenly distributed and often unmanaged impacts on these biodiverse ecosystems. Impact assessments and mitigation plans of industrial mining activities must address direct and indirect impacts to support conservation of the world’s tropical forests.

Quasi-experimental analysis of new mining developments as a driver of deforestation in Zambia

“…Our results likely differ because they use proximity to any mine which is a measure of a cumulative effect of all mining as opposed to individual new mines 43 . Additionally the majority of mines included in our analysis are missing from their dataset 43 . It is also important to note that they do not account for the spatial dependence within their data nor test for spatial autocorrelation 43 and therefore the effect they find may be inflated due to pseudo-replication.…”

“…Our descriptive results are in line with their findings but once we estimate the difference from a plausible counterfactual, we do not find any evidence that that mining has driven increased deforestation and without individual mines being present much, if not all, of the deforestation would have likely taken place regardless. Another recent pan-tropical study found a strong negative association between distance to a mine and total deforestation 2000–2019 in Zambia 43 . Our results likely differ because they use proximity to any mine which is a measure of a cumulative effect of all mining as opposed to individual new mines 43 .…”

“…Another recent pan-tropical study found a strong negative association between distance to a mine and total deforestation 2000–2019 in Zambia 43 . Our results likely differ because they use proximity to any mine which is a measure of a cumulative effect of all mining as opposed to individual new mines 43 . Additionally the majority of mines included in our analysis are missing from their dataset 43 .…”

“…Additionally the majority of mines included in our analysis are missing from their dataset 43 . It is also important to note that they do not account for the spatial dependence within their data nor test for spatial autocorrelation 43 and therefore the effect they find may be inflated due to pseudo-replication.…”

Indonesia Green Mining Industry

“…Indonesia is one of the four countries that caused 80 percent of tropical deforestation caused by largescale mining in the last two decades; research states that Giljum et al (2022) with 1,901 km 2 of deforested areas, Indonesia is by far the most affected country, accounting for 58.2% of direct forest loss by mining among 26 countries under investigation. The expansion of mines in East Kalimantan on the island of Kalimantan for coal production is a significant factor behind this development in Indonesia.…”