Aerial view of La Pampa gold mine's illegal expansion into Peru's Tambopata National Reserve.

Illegal mining is mining activity that is undertaken without state permission, in particular in absence of land rights, mining licenses, and exploration or mineral transportation permits.[1]

Illegal mining can be a subsistence activity, as is the case with artisanal mining, or it can belong to large-scale organized crime,[2] spearheaded by illegal mining syndicates.[3][4] On an international level, approximately 80 percent of small-scale mining operations can be categorized as illegal.[5] Despite strategic developments towards "responsible mining," even big companies can be involved in illegal mineral digging and extraction, if only on the financing side.[6]

Regional issues

Sub-Saharan Africa

Spurred by widespread poverty and a lack of alternative income-earning opportunities, illegal artisanal mining is a well-documented phenomenon in sub-Saharan Africa. While legalization opportunities for artisanal and small scale mining are often available, inefficient government bureaucracy structures can make noncompliance more appealing for workers. In addition, in an effort to attract foreign investment, many governments in sub-Saharan Africa have loosened national mining investment codes. An expansion of the large-scale mining projects fueled by foreign investment has displaced rural mining communities, many of which revert to illegal mining on concessions given to the formal mining sector.[7] As a response measure, Ghana for instance launched Operation Vanguard in 2017 to curb illegal artisanal mining in Ghana.

Latin America

Illegal gold mining in Latin America is a particular concern because of the scale of organized crime and significant rate of environmental degradation (through mercury and other toxic chemicals routinely used in gold mining) that accompany it.[3][4]

Illegal mining operations are often located in remote areas, making it more difficult to enforce mining standards. Furthermore, mining requirements can vary substantially from region to region, further complicating adherence with labor laws, environmental regulations, and tax legislation.[4] Emissions of mercury originating in artisanal mining, most of which is unregulated and illegal, are substantial, contributing to 37 percent of the atmospheric mercury emitted annually.[3]

While drug trafficking has historically been a prominent criminal enterprise, lower risks associated with illegal mining have propelled a shift toward lucrative illegal gold mining operations. In order to transfer illegal gold into the marketplace, criminal actors sometimes attempt to mask its illicit origins by melting together processed legal and illegal gold. This gold laundering task is generally facilitated by middlemen who falsify documentation to ease the transition into the legitimate international marketplace.[4]

India

This section is an excerpt from Mining scams in India.[edit]

Mining scams in India (colloquially Indian mining scam) refers to a series of alleged widespread scams in various ore-rich states of India, which has generated controversy. Such issues span encroachment of forest areas, underpayment of government royalties, and conflict with tribals regarding land rights . The spill-over of the effects of legal mining into issues such as Naxalism and the distortion of the Indian political system by mixed politics and mining interests, has gained international attention.[8][9]

The latest scam that has come out is the coal mining scam in which the government has had a presumable conservative loss of Rs 1.86 trillion (short scale), due to the delayed implementation of a competitive bidding process for allotment of coal blocks, says the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

Nigeria

Mining in Nigeria is one of the primary organizations in the country which prompts big time income. The development of the mining business of the Nigerian market will make more positions for inhabitants of the country. Along these lines, there have been issues of mining in Nigeria.

The mining business is one of the main businesses in the country. Obviously, such a relentless interaction has a few troubles. The following is the rundown of the issues of mining industry in Nigeria

1. Infrastructural hardships: This is one of the principal issues of mining in the country. The public authority should do a fundamental conveniences to complete mining tasks successfully, yet generally speaking, little mining organizations don't have great streets, absence of ordinary power and water supply.

2. Deficient finance: The mining circle in Nigeria is constrained by little mining organizations which need satisfactory financing to foster their industry. The deficient stock is one of the basic issues of the mining business in Nigeria. A significant number of such organizations utilize unlawful methods and hardware to do their cycles.

3. Lack of precise land information The mining business in Nigeria deals with the issue of shortage of exact topographical information. The data on minerals amount and areas in Nigeria is lacking. There is as yet a significant reliance on information assumed control a long time back.

4. Lack of exceptional research centers Having exceptional labs is essential. They give proficient exploration to various minerals and mining items. It is particularly critical during investigations of the new mineral and handling to work on their quality. Tragically, to find a cutting edge exceptional lab in the mining business in our nation can turn into a difficult errand.

5. Lacking guideline Nigerian mining producing isn't directed accurately. It has made it open for unlawful mining. State authority endowed with dealing with this business is unprepared for the work.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dozolme, Philippe (2018). "Learn What Illegal Mining Operations Are". The Balance.
  2. ↑ Zabyelina, Y.; van Uhm, D.P. Illegal Mining: Organized Crime, Corruption, and Ecocide in a Resource-Scarce World. Palgrave.
  3. 1 2 3 Sieber, Nancy; Brain, Joseph (2014). "Health Impact of Artisanal Gold Mining in Latin America". ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America. Harvard University.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Huerbsch, Brian; Spiro, Jesse (2016). "Illegal Mining in South America and Financial Risk - Taking the Shine off Gold" (PDF). Thomson Reuters: Risk Management Solutions. Thomson Reuters.
  5. ↑ Hentschel, T., Hruschka, F., Priester, M. (2003). "Artisanal and small-scale mining: challenges and opportunities". International Institute for Environment and Development, London. http://pubs.iied.org/9268IIED/.
  6. ↑ Castilla, Oscar; Amancio, Nelly; Lopez, Fabiola (2015). "The Companies Accused of Buying Latin America's Illegal Gold". InSight Crime.
  7. ↑ Banchirigah, Sadia. (2008). "Challenges with eradicating illegal mining in Ghana: A perspective from the grassroots". Resources Policy, 33(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2007.11.001.
  8. ↑ "Fire in the Hole: How India's economic rise turned an obscure communist revolt into a raging resource war". Foreign Policy Magazine. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  9. ↑ Yardley, Jim (18 August 2010). "Despite Swirl of Scandals, Indian Mining Bosses Thrive". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
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