History, Socioeconomic Problems and Environmental Impacts of Gold Mining in the Andean Region of Ecuador.

Carlos Mestanza-Ramón,Salvatore Straface,Giovanni D’Orio,Robinson Ordoñez-Alcivar,Katherin Carrera-Silva,Carla Arguello-Guadalupe

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031190

Abstract

Mining in Ecuadorian territory comprises three stages of Ecuadorian history: pre-Columbian, colonial, and republican times. In its beginnings, this activity did not have regulations or a legal foundation. The first Mining Law dates back to 1830, and it has been modified until the most recent update in 2009. The Andean region consists of 10 provinces, 9 of which have registered gold concessions, the most important of which are Loja, Azuay, and in recent years, Imbabura and Pichincha, which are the provinces with the highest number of reported concessions. The objective of this study focused on analyzing the historical and current situation of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASGM) and the emergence of large-scale (industrial) mining. For the elaboration of this study, different methodological techniques were used, such as literature review, field interviews, and expert judgment validation. The main findings show that the provinces of Loja, Azuay, Imbabura, and Pichincha are the most conflictive areas in the region due to the impacts caused by mining activities. In socio-economic terms, there are conflicts between inhabitants in favor and against these activities and problems associated with human health. In environmental terms, the findings suggest historical contamination of water sources by heavy metals, which has altered the surrounding aquatic and terrestrial systems. Finally, the study concludes that implementing public policies should be promoted to balance socio-economic and environmental aspects in gold mining activities in the Andean region of Ecuador, strengthening the use of new technologies and education to raise awareness of the serious effects of mining activities.

Highlights

In the case of South America, member countries, such as Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, are notable for Au production and exports, a market in which Ecuador has become increasingly competitive during the last few years as part of a strategy to diversify its productive output [6,7]
And in recent times, the Andean Region in Ecuador has been characterized by increasing mining activity, especially in the southern zone, but this is not different from other regions such as the Littoral and Amazon [59,60]
In the Andean Region they are mainly focused on human movement from the poorest villages to the mining areas, as this activity will always represent an opportunity to generate new income

Summary

Introduction

Mining worldwide is currently experiencing a production growth that has never been seen before. The global market for minerals and precious metals has soared, and the quantities extracted have multiplied exponentially [1,2]. Gold (Au), recognized as one of the most sought-after and demanded elements in international trade, is the most exploited precious metal in world mining production [3,4,5]. In the case of South America, member countries, such as Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, are notable for Au production and exports, a market in which Ecuador has become increasingly competitive during the last few years as part of a strategy to diversify its productive output [6,7].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion