South America is well known for one of the most important rainforests of the world: the Amazon Rainforest. It is not only big and beautiful, it is also home to an ample biodiversity unique to its setting. However, it is currently being gravely affected by mining activities along its rivers. Zaruma is one of the cities that has seen and felt the outcomes of illegal mining. Even though it is a beautiful city, known as one of the UNESCO heritage sites, it is also known for its rigorous mining activities. Last year, several of its beautiful houses collapsed due to an underground tunnel created by this unsanctioned activity.
Another example is the province of Napo, which is well within the Amazon Rainforest. As you can see, there has been severe deforestation in this area, which is due to mining and population growth but it is also important to keep in mind that there are people who live near these areas and that most of the materials used in these procedures are mercury and harmful chemicals that affect the people.