Mining is encroaching upon Protected Areas and Indigenous Reserves in the Colombian Amazon. In the Middle Caqueta region small-scale, illegal gold mining is eroding riverbanks, affecting water quality, and jeopardizin...Mining is encroaching upon Protected Areas and Indigenous Reserves in the Colombian Amazon. In the Middle Caqueta region small-scale, illegal gold mining is eroding riverbanks, affecting water quality, and jeopardizing the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. In addition, mining also threatens the integrity of pre-Columbian anthropogenic soils （terra preta） created between 500 years to 2,000 years B.P. on the bluffs of the Caqueta . River. These soils are the only, non-flooded fertile soils present in the region, and as such are important for local indigenous communities. In Colombia, there is little knowledge about Terra Preta soils. This work assesses the present and potential dangers artisanal mining has for terra preta soils and other natural resources that are central to indigenous peoples＇ food security. Results posit that more knowledge is needed about the way terra preta soils are related to the livelihoods of indigenous people so that informed policy decisions can be made about the desirability of mining in the region.展开更多
文摘Mining is encroaching upon Protected Areas and Indigenous Reserves in the Colombian Amazon. In the Middle Caqueta region small-scale, illegal gold mining is eroding riverbanks, affecting water quality, and jeopardizing the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. In addition, mining also threatens the integrity of pre-Columbian anthropogenic soils （terra preta） created between 500 years to 2,000 years B.P. on the bluffs of the Caqueta . River. These soils are the only, non-flooded fertile soils present in the region, and as such are important for local indigenous communities. In Colombia, there is little knowledge about Terra Preta soils. This work assesses the present and potential dangers artisanal mining has for terra preta soils and other natural resources that are central to indigenous peoples＇ food security. Results posit that more knowledge is needed about the way terra preta soils are related to the livelihoods of indigenous people so that informed policy decisions can be made about the desirability of mining in the region.
