In this report, we report on illegal gold mining activity in the Ecuadorian Amazon, building off our previous reports on Peru (MAAP #130) and Brazil (MAAP #116). The Base Map shows the two new cases presented below: Yutzupino (Napo province) and Punino (border of Napo and Orellana provinces). Both cases showed alarming expansion in 2021 […]| MAAP
Gold mining is one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon, with well-known cases in Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela. In a recent series of technical articles*, in collaboration with the Ecuadorian organization Foundation EcoCiencia, we have also shown that gold mining is escalating in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Here, we summarize the results from the series and […]| MAAP
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.| MAAP
This is the second in a series of reports detailing the expansion of gold mining in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In the first report (MAAP #227), we analyzed mining expansion in the northern sector, around the Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve, near the Colombian border. In this current report, we focus on mining deforestation in the central […]| MAAP
Amazon Conservation's Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP) reports on the most urgent threats across the Amazon in real-time with technology.| MAAP
Continuing our annual series, we present a detailed look at the major 2024 Amazon forest loss hotspots, based on the final annual data recently released by the University of Maryland and featured on Global Forest Watch. As in other reports of the series, we take this global dataset and analyze it for the Amazon specifically. This forest loss […]| MAAP
Illegal gold mining poses a challenge to environmental sustainability, governance, and security for all nine countries of the Amazon. The high price of gold on the international market has fueled the growth of this activity, combined with other factors such as the scarcity of economic alternatives, the presence of illicit groups, corruption, and a lack […] The post MAAP #228: Illegal Gold Mining in the Puré and Cotuhé Rivers in the Colombian Amazon appeared first on MAAP.| MAAP
In a recent report (MAAP #226), we presented data from Amazon Mining Watch (AMW), a collaboration between Amazon Conservation, Earth Genome, and the Pulitzer Center. This public resource uses AI (artificial intelligence) to detect gold mining deforestation across the Amazon, starting in 2018. The Base Map illustrates the current data, highlighting the most recent mining […]| MAAP
As gold prices continue to increase, small-scale gold mining activity also continues to be one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon. It often targets remote areas, thus impacting carbon-rich primary forests. Moreover, in many cases, we presume that this mining is illegal based on its location within conservation areas (such as protected areas and […]| MAAP
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.| MAAP
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.| MAAP
In part 1 of this series (MAAP #215), we introduced a critical new dataset (Planet’s Forest Carbon Diligence) with wall-to-wall estimates for aboveground carbon at an unprecedented 30-meter resolution between 2013 and 2022. This data uniquely merges machine learning, satellite imagery, airborne lasers, and a global biomass dataset from GEDI, a NASA mission. In part […] The post MAAP #220: Carbon across the Amazon (part 3): Key Cases of Carbon Loss & Gain appeared first on MAAP.| MAAP
In a series of reports, we have demonstrated that the Mennonites have become a leading cause of large-scale deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. The Mennonites, a global religious group dating back to the 1600s, often require vast tracts of land to support their characteristic industrialized agricultural activity. As such lands have become scarce in other […] The post MAAP #222: Mennonite Colonies Continue Major Deforestation in Peruvian Amazon appeared first on MAAP.| MAAP
In a series of previous reports, we warned about the emergence and expansion of mining deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon (MAAP #151, MAAP 182, MAAP #219). Illegal mining in Ecuador tends to operate in remote areas, such as protected areas. Furthermore, this activity’s proximity to Colombia and Peru facilitates cross-border flows essential for the gold trade. […]| MAAP
In part 1 of this series (MAAP #215), we introduced a critical new resource (Planet Forest Carbon Diligence) that provides wall-to-wall estimates for aboveground carbon density at an unprecedented 30-meter resolution. This data uniquely merges machine learning, satellite imagery, airborne lasers, and a global biomass dataset from GEDI, a NASA mission.4 In that report, we […]| MAAP
In a series of previous reports, we warned about the emergence and expansion of illegal mining deforestation in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, in the area surrounding the Punino River, located between the provinces of Napo and Orellana (MAAP #182, MAAP #151). In the most recent report, we informed that this mining impact had […]| MAAP
As deforestation continues to threaten primary forest across the Amazon, key land use designations are one of the best hopes for the long-term conservation of critical remaining intact forests. Here, we evaluate the impact of two of the most important: protected areas & indigenous territories. Our study looked across all nine countries of the Amazon biome, a vast […]| MAAP
