It is possible a sustainable mining?

Question permeates research focused on artisanal diamond mining in Alto Jequitinhonha

Mining in Brazil dates back to the colonial period and is often linked to environmental degradation, disasters, and poor working conditions. In the Jequitinhonha Valley region of Minas Gerais, artisanal miners have persisted in this activity for three centuries, increasingly dominated by mechanization and large corporations. In a thesis defended in the Graduate Program in Environment and Society, at the Center for Environmental Studies and Research (NEPAM) at Unicamp, geographer Jamila Paula Jardim, a native of the Middle Jequitinhonha region, investigates the socio-environmental impacts of mining and the possibility of sustainable practices in the Diamantina microregion.

Artisanal mining differs from two other forms of mineral extraction: semi-mechanized mining and mining companies, explains Jardim. Companies operate on a large scale, mechanized, with vertical labor relations and specialized labor. Semi-mechanized mining, on the other hand, is generally carried out by small groups and uses some machinery, such as water pumps and small dredges. Artisanal mining is carried out on an individual or family scale, in which the worker himself controls the work process, carried out using rustic techniques and, generally, informally.

The research focuses on artisanal diamond mining. "Artisanal or traditional mining, carried out using pans and sieves, is a type of mining still very common in the region. Theoretically, it doesn't have as much impact as large-scale or semi-mechanized mining, also found in Alto Jequitinhonha [the region covered by the research]. However, it is generally carried out illegally," the geographer points out, emphasizing that the miners themselves use this term.

According to Jardim, artisanal mining is often confused with mining that uses mercury. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to refer to other types of mining as artisanal when they are not, such as the Areinha mine in Diamantina, occupied by illegal miners after a company left the site in 2007. In 2019, an operation launched by the Public Prosecutor's Office removed a group of approximately 900 workers from the site. These workers were using the machinery left behind and caused several environmental problems, such as the silting of the Jequitinhonha River and deforestation. For the researcher, all of this hinders the discussion about the possibility of a more sustainable mining activity.

Impact reduction

The thesis author considers sustainability a comprehensive concept, encompassing not only environmental issues but also economic and social issues. It is essential that the activity remains stable over time, as, according to the researcher, Professor Leila Ferreira, also from Nepam, conceptualizes in her academic work.

Based on these premises, Jardim says: "Today, we can't say that sustainable mining exists." Besides causing environmental impacts, this type of activity doesn't offer a reliable source of income for workers, who describe it as a "lottery." Typically, people involved in this extractive practice perform the activity to supplement another source of income.

However, he reflects, there are ways to make mining more sustainable. "We can think of less impactful practices that will alter the landscape a little less, causing less silting of the river. How would I do this? By contacting experts or the traditional community itself, who can think about these issues more comprehensively, as they recognize their territory," he states.

There is a view among most of those interviewed in the thesis that, yes, it is possible to create a mine with a lower environmental impact. And, more importantly, there is interest in it.

For Roberto do Carmo, a professor in the Department of Demography at Unicamp's Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) and thesis advisor, the possibility of a more sustainable activity involves valuing these people's knowledge. "These communities have been mining since the 18th century. So, they already have a way of working and managing that significantly reduces the impact. This situation is very specific. It's diamond mining on a very small scale, very manual," he assesses.

Development only in speech

In his research, Jardim also discusses the different concepts of development in Alto Jequitinhonha and conducts a demographic survey of the region between 2010 and 2023, highlighting aspects such as the distribution of activities, income, and medical care. "We can see not only from the demographic data, but also from the social indicators of the region's development plans, that mining is not very strong. It is not very significant to the region's economy."

The reality, however, appears different in the discourse of mining companies that establish themselves in the region. "The mining narrative suggests that the region will develop, that it will have more jobs, that it will have roads. But when the company leaves the municipality, the impacts remain," observes the researcher.

In the case of Areinha, a large mining company extracted gold and diamonds for two decades, using advanced machinery, and left the region in 2007. The company's legacy, in addition to environmental degradation, was unemployment for many workers and an increase in illegal mining.

As a proposal to mitigate environmental impacts and generate jobs and income, the researcher suggests that government authorities adopt several measures. One of them: regularizing the status of illegal workers. Another: intensifying environmental monitoring. The geographer believes that training local communities, which have extensive knowledge of the territory, would represent a potential way to increase their income and improve monitoring.

According to Carmo, one of the important points of the work is to highlight the impossibility of generalizing when it comes to mining. "In some situations, with some specific types of minerals, I think it's possible to have a sustainable activity, adopting a behavior that doesn't destroy the environment and generates income for local populations, because, when one activity is prohibited, it ends up creating a local problem. What will these people do in terms of economic activity? Will there be any public policy that can insert this population into another economic activity?" he asks.