Gold Mining Expands Fastest on Indigenous Lands in Brazil’s Amazon, New Analysis Shows

SAO PAULO — Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon are experiencing the most rapid expansion of gold mining, according to a recent analysis by the nonprofit Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

The total area affected by gold mining across the Amazon increased 20-fold between 1985 and 2024, with Indigenous lands seeing an even steeper rise. Mining activities on these territories expanded 24 times over the same period, and surged nearly sevenfold between 2016 and 2024 alone.

Surging gold prices—fueled by investor demand for secure assets amid economic uncertainty—have sparked a new wave of mining in the Amazon, leading to heightened deforestation and mercury pollution affecting rivers and Indigenous communities.

IPAM noted that illegal mining is worsening climate-related vulnerabilities for Indigenous populations. Climate change, largely driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, has intensified droughts and rising temperatures throughout the region.

“Extreme weather events threaten access to water, food, transportation and healthcare,” said the institute. “Simultaneously, expanding illegal mining contaminates rivers, accelerates environmental destruction, and increases health issues and violence, further undermining Indigenous communities’ resilience.”

Nearly 90% of the impacted area is concentrated within three territories, one being the Munduruku Indigenous Territory in Pará.

This month, representatives from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights visited Pará to meet with the Munduruku people, including sessions held directly in their territory. The visit aimed to evaluate Brazil’s adherence to interim orders issued by the court in 2022 to safeguard Indigenous rights.

Munduruku leaders submitted documentation—including satellite imagery and field monitoring reports—showing that illegal miners had reentered their land despite federal removal operations in 2024 and 2025. They also reported rising health concerns such as increased malaria cases, elevated infant mortality rates, and mercury exposure linked to developmental delays in children.

Since assuming office, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has intensified government action against illegal mining. Law enforcement and environmental agencies have conducted large-scale operations targeting criminal organizations, while investigators employ forensic techniques to track illicit gold supplies.

Despite these measures, illegal mining persists across the Amazon. Miners frequently relocate when enforcement displaces them or return after officials withdraw. As of August, Indigenous monitors in Munduruku territory had located ten new unauthorized mining sites.

In a September 10 statement, Brazil’s Ministry of Human Rights acknowledged participation in the hearings, highlighting discussions around ongoing territorial protection and initiatives to improve water quality and food security. The ministry also recognized the urgent need for enhanced technical responses to mercury contamination.

Mining remains illegal on Indigenous lands under Brazilian law. On Monday, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) stated that securing the Munduruku territory demands more than simply evicting invaders.

“This operations are part of a transnational criminal economy where armed groups dominate extraction, and gold and drug trafficking share the same river routes, using mining permits to legitimize illicit activity,” APIB said.

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