 "Farmers cover garlic beds with straw in a field near the Kok River, where they irrigate the crops with groundwater instead of the Kok's water, amid increased rare earth and gold mining at the river’s source in Myanmar, where unregulated operations may release toxic chemicals, according to the Stimson Center report. Image credit: Reuters")
Millions of people across Southeast Asia face serious health risks from toxic chemicals released by over 2,400 mining sites, many of them declared illegal and unregulated, according to a recent study by the US-based Stimson Centre think tank released on Monday.
Senior fellow at Stimson, Brian Eyler said, “The scale is something that’s striking to me, pointing to scores of tributaries of major rivers, like the Mekong, the Salween and the Irrawaddy that are probably highly contaminated.
The study highlights the alarming level of pollutants such as cyanide, mercury, arsenic, and heavy metals that contaminate the rivers.
The research was utilised to map mining activities, particularly concentrated in conflict-affected northern Myanmar. The toxic chemicals involved are the byproducts of gold and rare earth extraction processes such as in-situ leaching, which use hazardous substances like ammonium sulphate and sodium cyanide.
Most alluvial mining sites are gold mines, though some also extract tin and silver. Heap leach mining sites include those for gold, nickel, copper, and manganese extraction.
Local residents like Thai farmers also reported contamination of their water sources, which forced them to seek alternative supplies.
The Mekong is Asia’s third-largest river and supports the livelihood of more than 70 million people as well as the global export of farm and fisheries products. It was previously perceived to be a clean river system, said Eyler.
Experts warn that the intensity of contamination is increasing and can cause a significant threat to the economy and environmental conditions, affecting fisheries, agriculture and the tourism sector. They have called for expanded water quality testing along the entire route of the Mekong basin and stronger regional governance mechanisms.
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View AllThe report serves as an urgent action to address the environmental degradation and human health stemming from unregulated mining in Southeast Asia, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable and transparent resource management in the region.