Large areas of intact rainforest still cover the Amazonian region of Madre de Dios and Loreto, the uncontrolled expansion of alluvial gold mining, often illegal, is affecting human and environmental health.
The expansion of alluvial gold mining has caused the deforestation of over 150,000 hectares of forest in Madre de Dios since the 1980s, while contaminating waterways with mercury, which impacts human and environmental health. In Loreto illegal activities are concentrated in water courses. The goal of the Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation – Alliance for Science and Ecosystem Recovery (CINCIA-ACIERTA for its Spanish acronym) is to build scientific capacity in the Peruvian Amazon region of Madre de Dios and Loreto to counteract growing environmental threats. CINCIA-ACIERTA leverages alliances with U.S. and Peruvian institutions to develop transformative solutions that promote sustainable development, combat environmental destruction caused by alluvial gold mining, and improve human health in the Peruvian Amazon.
