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Cited by 197Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource ManagementMining and Resource ManagementOil Palm Production and Sustainability

A pantropical assessment of deforestation caused by industrial mining

Open access
Giljum, Stefan, Maus, Victor, Kuschnig, Nikolas, Luckeneder, Sebastian, Tost, Michael, Sonter, Laura J., Bebbington, Anthony J.·2022·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.2118273119PMC PMC9499560
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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.

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  • Military operations against mining in French Guiana and Madre de Dios (e.g. Operation Mercury) were effective but have displaced the cause to other areas.

    “So far, military 646 operations against mining in French Guiana and Madre de Dios (e.g. Operation Mercury) were effective 647 but have displaced the cause to other areas [55,162].”

    From A systematic comparison of deforestation drivers and policy effectiveness across the Amazon biome (2023) · cites this paper as [162]

    The paper’s Results assess deforestation associated with industrial mining, and its Discussion addresses environmental policy, but neither reports the effectiveness of military operations in French Guiana or Madre de Dios or says they displaced mining elsewhere. Searches for Operation Mercury, both locations, military enforcement, and displacement found no passage addressing the claim. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 21

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Authors
Giljum, S., Maus, V., Kuschnig, N., Luckeneder, S., Tost, M., Sonter, L. J., & Bebbington, A. J.
Affiliations
  • Vienna University of Economics and Business (AT)
  • Montanuniversität Leoben (AT)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Clark University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Giljum, Stefan
  • Bebbington, Anthony J.
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2022-09-12
Volume
119
Issue
38
Pages
e2118273119-e2118273119
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.2118273119
PMC
PMC9499560
OpenAlex
W4295308939
Cited by
197
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 54 · 2025: 64 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 3
FWCI
13.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • IIASA PURE (International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis) (acceptedVersion)
  • Clark Digital Commons (Clark University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • WU Research (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
European Research Council (725525)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Mining and Resource Management
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Oil Palm Production and Sustainability
Keywords
deforestation, industrial mining, tropical forests, mining, forest loss, mining impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, Indonesia, Brazil, Ghana, Suriname
MeSH terms
Conservation of Natural Resources, Mining, Biodiversity, Forests

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