Earth’s riches, people’s troubles. Mining in Central Asia
January 31, 2012
Two new reports and two videos on the impacts of mining operations in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia unearth some of the downsides of the mining business in Central Asia.
Kumtor gold facilities, Kyrgyzstan: Comments on water, environmental and related issues
January 31, 2012
This report, authored by hydrogeologist and geochemist Dr. Robert Moran, reveals that Canadian company Centerra Gold, owner and operator of the Kumtor gold mine, has been contaminating local waters and glaciers while hiding evidence of such negative impacts from public oversight.
Kyrgyzstan: Gold Mine Could Exacerbate Central Asian Water Woes—Report
January 31, 2012
Two new studies say that Kumtor, Kyrgyzstan’s largest gold mine, as well as a major government revenue source, routinely ignores national environmental legislation and restricts access to independent auditors. The mine’s operations could have a far-reaching, detrimental effect on Central Asia’s water supply, one of the reports suggests.
Kyrgyzstan: Independent expertise exposes damage done by Kumtor gold exploitation
January 31, 2012
Bishkek — Canadian company Centerra Gold, owner and operator of Kumtor Mine, the largest gold mine in Central Asia managed by a Western company, has been contaminating local waters and glaciers while hiding evidence of such negative impacts from public oversight, reveals a report authored by an independent US-based expert published today by CEE Bankwatch Network (1). Had it operated in its home country Canada, Centerra’s practices would have caused the company serious trouble with the law.
Kumtor gold mine, Kyrgyzstan. Bringing risks to regional water systems
January 31, 2012
The briefing summarises findings of a report, authored by hydrogeologist and geochemist Robert Moran. The report reveals that Canadian company Centerra Gold, owner and operator of the Kumtor Mine, has been contaminating local waters and glaciers while hiding evidence of such negative impacts from public oversight.
Spirited away – Mongolia’s mining boom and the people that development left behind
January 30, 2012
The report, based on a fact finding mission to the Tavan Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi mines in Mongolia, examines the social and environmental impacts of mining in Mongolia. It offers a more in-depth look at the impacts on herders who have been displaced by the mining operations, the local effects of the construction of infrastructure and the mining operations themselves.
Video: Spirited away – Mongolia’s mining boom and the people that development left behind
January 27, 2012
Earlier this week we published an overview of two Central Asian mining projects financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan and the Ukhaa Khudag coal mine in Mongolia’s south Gobi desert, which is part of the much larger – in fact the world’s largest – coal deposit at Tavan Tolgoi.
ARCHIVED: Mining boom in Mongolia
January 26, 2012
With huge amounts of unexploited natural resources (gold, copper, coal and more) the Mongolian economy is estimated to grow massively in the years to come. But will it also benefit the people in Mongolia? Our work shows how mining operations lead to pollution and displacement for local herders and exacerbate water scarcity issues.
Tragedy or comedy, what is the Nabucco pipeline really?
January 19, 2012
The announcement of German energy giant RWE to reconsider its plans for the Nabucco pipeline is just the last in a series of confusingly conflicting signals regarding the fate of this gargantuan project.
Comments on the European Neighbourhood Policy and the forthcoming European Neighborhood Instrument
November 30, 2011
The primary goal of the EU’s neighbourhood policy should be based on an insistence on increased democracy in EU neighbourhood countries. This should happen through public participation in decision-making processes, the establishment of good governance and sustainable development practices, increased environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as increased welfare and social security across these countries.
