The recent deforestation figures in Madre de Dios highlight not only the environmental damage caused by illegal mining, but also the inability of the government to stop these harmful illicit activities.
Deforestation is only one of the many environmental challenges linked to the illicit extraction of minerals. A 2016 report by Peru's National Civil Defense Institute (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil – INDECI) found that several hundred Madre de Dios inhabitants may be exposed to dangerous levels of mercury, a toxic metal often used in illicit extraction of gold. And in May 2016, the Peruvian government announced a 60-day state of emergency in the department due to mercury contamination linked to illegal mining.
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