TNRC - Partner Resource - TGNR - Corruption and criminality behind biodiversity loss in Colombia’s forests: Illegal mining

Corruption and criminality behind biodiversity loss in Colombia’s forests: Illegal mining


WWF Colombia, Transparency for Colombia (Transparencia por Colombia), the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo Sostenible — FCDS), and InSight Crime teamed up to identify the facts of corruption and criminality behind the main drivers of deforestation, forest degradation and biodiversity loss in Colombia’s Amazon and Pacific regions: illegal mining, land grabbing, illegal logging, and wildlife trafficking. All of them were tracked as part of a USAID-funded project, named Transparent Governance of Natural Resources (TGNR).

This video explores the role criminal actors have been playing in illegal mining, along with how corruption (with the involvement of government actors) underpins the lucrative trade’s operation. For example, it covers bribery to ignore environmental damages or inappropriately secure mining permits and laundering of illegal gold into legal supply chains. It also reveals the devastating impact illegal mining is having on Colombia’s forests, biodiversity and communities, including deforestation, mercury contamination in water supplies, exploitation and labor abuses.


 

Image attribution: © naturepl.com / Jen Guyton / WWF; © Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF; © Georgina Goodwin / Shoot The Earth / WWF-UK; © Hkun Lat / WWF-Aus