Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro gives green light for extensive gold mining in Amazon rainforest
The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, announced last night his government has launched plans to allow a significant expansion of gold mining activities in the Amazon rainforest.
The decision was condemned and criticised by environmentalists around the world amid warnings more mining could further damage the Amazon, namely by deforestation and pollution.
Bolsonaro signed a decree that permits a program to support the development of artisanal mining, a controversial activity known as “garimpo”, according to various reports in Brazil.
“The aim is to propose public policies and stimulate the development of artisanal and small-scale mining, fostering sustainable development for the region and the nation,” according to the decree.
It further creates an inter-ministerial commission on artisanal mining, with the nine Brazilian states that are home to the Amazon being branded a ‘priority region’.