MAAP #36: New Gold Mining Frontier in the Northern Peruvian Amazon

In several previous MAAP articles, we have detailed gold mining deforestation in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Here, we provide evidence of the first known case of gold mining deforestation in northern Peru.

A recent news article published by the Peruvian organization DAR reported that gold mining activity continues to increase in the Santiago River (see Image 36a), located in the Amazonas region of the northern Peruvian Amazon. The article also mentions that this gold mining activity is no longer restricted to the river, but is now entering the forest. There are mining concessions in the area, but according to a recent article published in The Guardian, the miners are not operating legally with permission from the concessionaire.

Here, we show the first satellite images that confirm that the mining activity is indeed causing deforestation along the Santiago River (see below). Click each image to enlarge.

Imagen Xa. Crédito: DAR
Image 36a. Credit: DAR, April 2016

Satellite Images of Gold Mining Deforestation in Northern Peru

Image 36b shows a high-resolution image of the newly deforested area due to mining activity along the Santiago River (see yellow circle). The total forest loss to date is 8 hectares (20 acres).

Imagen Xa. Datos: Planet Labs
Image 36b. Data: Planet Labs

Image 36c shows that the deforestation occurred between August 2014 (left panel) and August 2015 (right panel).

Image 35c. Data: USGS/NASA
Image 36c. Data: USGS/NASA

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S (2016) Gold Mining Deforestation in the Northern Peruvian Amazon. MAAP: 36.

MAAP #35: Confirming Amazon Deforestation by United Cacao in 2013 [High Res View]

To date, we have published 4 MAAP articles* tracking deforestation by the company United Cacao in the northern Peruvian Amazon (outside the town of Tamshiyacu in the Loreto region). In these articles, based on analysis of satellite imagery, we have documented the deforestation of 2,380 hectares (5,880 acres) related to this project.

The company, however, continues to deny this deforestation**. In general, their main response seems to be that the land in question had been deforested for previous agricultural projects prior to their arrival in 2013.

Here in MAAP #35, we show definitively that this assertion simply does not match the satellite evidence. This article is based on analysis of recently-acquired satellite images from early 2013, the time period that the cacao project began. These images show, in extremely high resolution, the large-scale deforestation of primary forest in the project area between March and September 2013.*** Click each image to enlarge.

It is important to resolve the deforestation-related issues because the company has plans to expand its agricultural land bank in the coming years. Please see this recent statement from the Peruvian Forestry Service (SERFOR) for details on the legal aspect of this case.

As a reference, at the end of the article there is a graphic (Image 35l) illustrating the difference (as seen in high-resolution imagery) between primary forest, secondary vegetation, agricultural areas, and deforested areas.

New Evidence of Large-Scale Deforestation in 2013

We recently obtained high-resolution satellite imagery from March 25, 2013, immediately before the beginning of the deforestation for the cacao project. Image 35a shows the same exact project area between March (left panel) and September (right panel) 2013. In March, the project area is predominantly covered with primary forest*** and contains only a few scattered patches of previously disturbed land. In contrast, in September, the project area is clearly undergoing a large-scale deforestation event (1,100 hectares at that time).

tamshiyacu2
Image 35a. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)

Zoom A

In the following series of images, we show zooms of the areas indicated by Insets A-E in Image 35a. Each image shows the same exact area within the cacao project between March (left panel) and September (right panel) 2013. In all images, one can clearly see intact forest in March followed by large-scale deforestation in September.

Image 35b. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)
Image 35c. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)

Zoom B

tamsh_zoomB
Image 35d. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)
tamsh_zoomB1
Image 35e. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)

Zoom C

tamsh_zoomC
Image 35f. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)
tamsh_zoomC1
Image 35g. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)

Zoom D

tamsh_zoomD
Image 35h. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)
tamsh_zoomD1
Image 35i. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)

Zoom E

tamsh_zoomE
Image 35j. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)
tamsh_zoomE1
Image 35k. Data: Airbus, Digital Globe (Nextview)

Reference Graphic

Finally, for reference, Image 35l illustrates the difference (as seen in high-resolution imagery) between primary forest, secondary vegetation, agricultural areas, and deforested areas.

Imagen Xl. Datos: Worldview (NextView)
Image 35l. Data: Worldview (NextView)

References

*MAAP #27, MAAP #13, MAAP #9, MAAP #2

**See articles in Directors Talk, La Region, y The Guardian

***see MAAP #9 for details on our time-series analysis dating back to 1985 that revealed that the vast majority of the project area is primary forest

Citation

Finer M, Cruz C, Novoa S (2016) Confirming Amazon Deforestation by United Cacao in 2013 [High Res View].  MAAP: 35.