Gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon is destroying carbon-storing peatlands at an alarming rate. In just two years, more than half of all peatland damage has been recorded, releasing huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Researchers warn that if this trend continues, emissions could surge, exacerbating climate change.
New research published in Environmental Research Letters shows that small-scale gold mining in the southern Peruvian Amazon has destroyed more carbon-rich peatlands in the past two years than in the previous three decades combined. This rapid loss poses a major threat to both the environment and climate.
For decades, artisanal gold mining has flourished along rivers in the Madre de Dios region, where gold is often found in the soil. Deforestation from mining has long been a concern, but scientists are now uncovering deeper levels of damage - both literal and figurative.
Researchers used more than 35 years of satellite data from NASA's Landsat satellite program to track the expansion of mining in Amazon peatlands, which store vast amounts of carbon underground. What they found was shocking: more than 550 hectares of peatland had been destroyed, and an estimated 200,000 to 700,000 tonnes of carbon had been released into the atmosphere. What is even more worrying is that more than 55% of the damage occurred in the past two years, exceeding the cumulative damage in the past 30 years.
Peatlands are crucial because they store carbon more densely than forests. In fact, the region's peatlands store seven times as much carbon as forests. This means that the loss of even small areas of peatland can have a huge impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Peatland mining currently accounts for around 9% of all mining activity in the region, but is growing rapidly. If this trend continues, peatland mining will account for 25% of total mining by 2027. Currently, 63 of the 219 peatlands have been affected, and more than 10,000 hectares of peatland are at risk. This could result in up to 14.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to the annual emissions from millions of cars.
These peatlands in southern Peru were unknown to science until 2012. Just a decade later, the same scientists who originally described these peatlands are now describing the beginnings of their demise. The data paints a gloomy picture for the future.
Dr. John Householder, corresponding author of the study, explained: "Mining activity is spreading rapidly into these vulnerable areas as it becomes easier to reach these remote mining sites and there is not enough law enforcement to protect these areas. If we do not slow the rate of destruction, the damage to Amazon peatlands may be permanent, with serious environmental, social and economic consequences. There are many other sites where large amounts of peat are suspected, but there is simply no ground data to confirm these suspicions. Our paper shows that large peat deposits are likely to disappear from the landscape before science has a chance to describe them. For those peat deposits that are already known, these findings sound a wake-up call for their conservation."
Compiled from /ScitechDaily