Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Gabriela Sá Pessoa The Associated Press
A nonprofit analysis by IPAM shows that gold mining in Brazil’s Amazon has expanded significantly on Indigenous lands, covering 24 times more land area in 2024 compared to 1985. The Munduruku Indigenous Territory in Para state faces severe threats from illegal miners, leading to health issues like increased malaria and infant mortality, and environmental damage. Despite efforts by the Brazilian government under President Lula da Silva to combat illegal mining, enforcement remains insufficient as miners often relocate or resume activities after officials leave.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In 2024, IPAM, a Brazilian non-profit research institute, released an analysis revealing that gold mining has expanded significantly in the Amazon rainforest, particularly on Indigenous lands. The total area affected by gold mining across the Amazon increased to 20 times its size from 1985 to 2024, while on Indigenous territories alone, it grew to 24 times larger. Between 2016 and 2024, mining expanded nearly sevenfold on these lands.
This surge in gold mining is fueled by record-high prices driven mainly by investor demand for safe assets amid global risks. The expansion has led to increased deforestation and mercury contamination, posing significant threats to riverine and Indigenous communities. IPAM highlights that climate change exacerbates the situation, intensifying droughts and heat waves which threaten water supplies, food security, transportation, and healthcare access for these vulnerable groups.
The Indigenous Peoples' Articulation (APIB) further notes that this mining activity is part of a transnational criminal economy involving armed groups controlling extraction activities. These groups use illegal gold and drugs moving along the same river routes and employ mining permits to give an appearance of legality to their operations, thereby intensifying environmental degradation in the Amazon region.
Written for “Gold Mining In Brazilian Amazon” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Indigenous lands face the greatest threat from the expansion of gold mining in the Brazilian Amazon, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the nonprofit Amazon Environmental Research Institute, known as IPAM.
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lands → face → IPAM
The area affected by gold mining across the Amazon was 20 times larger in 2024 than in 1985.
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area → affect → 1985
The growth was even more dramatic on Indigenous lands, where mining covered 24 times as much land — and expanded nearly sevenfold between 2016 and 2024 alone.
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mining → cover → 2016
Record-breaking gold prices, driven largely by investor demand for safe assets amid rising global risks, have driven a renewed mining rush in the Amazon, spiking deforestation and mercury contamination of riverine and Indigenous communities.
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prices → break → communities
IPAM said the mining is aggravating the climate risks facing Indigenous communities.
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mining → say → communities
Climate change, driven primarily by human activities that increase greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, has intensified droughts and heat in the Amazon.
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that → drive → Amazon
“Extreme weather events threaten access to water, food, transportation and healthcare,” the nonprofit said.
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nonprofit → threaten → water
“At the same time, expanding illegal mining contaminates rivers, accelerates environmental degradation and fuels health problems and violence, further weakening Indigenous communities’ ability to adapt.
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expanding → expand → ability
Almost 90% of the affected area is concentrated in three territories.
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% → concentrate → territories
One of them is the Munduruku Indigenous Territory, located in the northern state of Para.
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One → locate → Para
Earlier this month, representatives of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights traveled to Para for a series of hearings with the Munduruku people, including sessions in their territory.
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representatives → travel → territory
The visit sought to assess Brazil’s compliance with provisional measures recommended by the court in 2022 to protect Indigenous communities’ rights.
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visit → seek → rights
Munduruku leaders presented evidence — including satellite imagery and field-monitoring reports — showing that illegal gold miners had returned to the territory, after federal operations in 2024 and 2025 expelled them.
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operations → present → them
They also reported that health impacts include a surge in malaria cases, higher infant mortality rates and mercury contamination linked to delays in children’s language and motor development.
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impacts → report → development
Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazilian authorities have stepped up efforts to combat illegal mining.
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authorities → step → mining
Police and environmental agencies have carried out major operations targeting criminal networks, while investigators have increasingly used forensic science to trace gold and identify illegally mined metal.
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investigators → carry → metal
Still, enforcement has not eliminated illegal mining across the Amazon.
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enforcement → eliminate → Amazon
When authorities destroy mining equipment in one area, miners often move elsewhere or resume operations after officials leave.
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officials → destroy → operations
In the Munduruku territory, Indigenous watchdogs had identified 10 new illegal mining sites as of August.
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watchdogs → identify → August
In a Sept. 10 statement, Brazil’s Ministry of Human Rights said that government officials attended the hearings and discussed continued territorial enforcement, along with improvements to the water supply and food safety.
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officials → say → supply
The ministry also acknowledged the need for a “more detailed technical response” to mercury contamination.
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ministry → acknowledge → contamination
Under Brazilian law, mining is prohibited on Indigenous lands.
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mining → prohibit → lands
On Monday, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, known by the Portuguese acronym Apib, said in a statement that protecting the Munduruku territory requires more than removing those who invade it.
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who → know → it
“The activity is part of a transnational criminal economy in which armed groups control extraction, gold and drugs move along the same river routes, and mining permits are used to give a veneer of legality to illegally extracted gold,” Apib said.
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Apib → control → gold
The Aporia
