BBC to Broadcast Special on Gold mining in Zamora Ecuador

Today, some 10,000 people in and around Zaruma still live off ‘artisanal’ mining, eking out the remnants of what was once Ecuador’s richest gold deposit. The mining is small-scale but the problems it brings are large: unsafe conditions, child labour, environmental contamination, and mercury poisoning (mercury is used in the refining process). However, the town has made a huge effort to shed its reputation as a mining town and has become a thriving tourist destination. There is a mining museum, and the town’s beautiful colonial-era architecture has helped them in their campaign to turn it into a World Heritage Site. Other economic alternatives have emerged, such as gourmet coffee � the forests around Zaruma are noted for the quality of their ‘shade grown’ beans.
http://latinamericacurrentevents.com/bbc-to-broadcast-special-on-gold-mining-in-zamora-ecuador/28279/