Infographic: Growth, poverty and mining in Mongolia
March 15, 2015
This infographic juxtaposes Mongolia’s impressive economic growth over the last years with the still widespread poverty in the country.
Dam Spill Threats at a Gold Mine in Kyrgyzstan
February 17, 2015
In light of the Mount Polley tailings dam spill in British Columbia, Canada, environmental activists in Kyrgyzstan are ringing alarm bells over a possible scenario of a similar outburst at Petrov Lake near the Kumtor gold mine project. At Mount Polley, the tailings dam at a copper and gold mine burst in August last year, spilling 25 million cubic meters of toxic waste into nearby lakes. The British Columbia provincial government appointed a commission to probe into the disaster.
Guest post: Mongolian herders file complaint with EBRD about Mongolian iron ore company
January 21, 2015
Herders from the Gobi Altai mountains in western Mongolia have filed a complaint with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The complaint addresses the company Altain Khuder, which at its Tayan Nuur iron ore mine has allegedly caused significant environmental pollution and the displacement of herders in the Mongolian Gobi Altai mountains.
Dust, displacement, intimidation – Mongolian herders are under pressure by iron ore mine
December 9, 2014
Herders in the Mongolian Gobi Altai mountains are facing pollution and displacement by an iron ore mine. The mining company Altain Khuder responds to criticism with intimidation. The financier, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is not doing enough to protect herders’ rights.
When the dust settles – Impacts of the Tayan Nuur iron ore mine on nomadic herders’ lives in Mongolia
December 9, 2014
This report from a fact-finding mission to the Gobi Altai mountains in Mongolia describes the impacts the Tayan Nuur iron ore mine has on local nomadic herders, including displacement, dust pollution resulting in diminished livestock, and more. While the mining company Altain Khuder responds to criticism with intimidation, the company’s financier, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is not doing enough to protect herders’ rights.
EBRD’s Environmental Policy Under Scrutiny in Kyrgyzstan
November 17, 2014
Central Asia’s top producing gold mine Kumtor is back in the spotlight, after its major shareholder, Canadian company Centerra Gold’s environmental record was questioned by the Kyrgyz public, domestic activists, and international experts. The controversy surrounding Kumtor has translated into a highly politicized backlash in Kyrgyzstan over a lack of transparency and Centerra’s unwillingness to disclose information on the harmful effect of the mining operations on glaciers. In light of the growing public pressure on Centerra Gold in the republic, one of the Kumtor project’s creditors, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), has come under scrutiny.
Two great new websites on all things coal
October 31, 2014
As anti-coal movements are gaining momentum around the world, two new websites offer a slew of information about the dirtiest of fossil fuels and the campaigns against it. They also offer a stark reminder that despite progress in the last years coal is far from dead.
Melting glaciers add to woes at Kumtor
October 28, 2014
Kumtor mine is the largest open pit gold deposit in Central Asia, whose majority shareholder since 2004 has been Centerra Gold, a Canadian mining company. The mine sits at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, in the Tien Shan mountain range and among some of Kyrgyzstan’s – and the region’s – most important glaciers. These feed into the Naryn (Kyrgyzstan) and Syrdarya (Uzbekistan) rivers. Kumtor’s main gold-bearing ore lies under glaciers adjacent to Kyrgyzstan’s Sarychat-Ertash state reserve.
On Evgeny Vitishko, multilateral development banks and the criminalisation of public criticism
September 26, 2014
The recent rejection to release Evgeny Vitishko’s, an imprisoned environmental activist in Russia, illustrates the backlash against fundamental rights and freedoms in some countries. Multilateral development banks need to take notice of this trend and be more wary of the risk that their lending may strengthen authoritarian regimes.
Kyrgyzstan: a song in the mountains
June 20, 2014
‘Kyrgyzstan: a song in the mountains’ is photographic travelogue to the source of the nomadic Kyrgyz people, their traditions and environment. The book explores people’s relationship to the Kumtor gold mine in the mountains of Central Asia, which is slowly degrading the environment of the area. The reader takes a journey past high mountain lakes, the lost caravanserai of the Great Silk Road and developing farms. Farmers and mountain locals tell the traveler secrets about the lives of their ancestors and their hopes for the future of this beautiful place.
