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The climbing price of gold could be destroying forests and eco systems in Guyana, global conservation body World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said yesterday.“Large numbers of miners and their families, as well as the services industry catering to the sub-sector,Wayne Gretzky Rangers Jersey, depend on mining for their livelihood. Current indications are that the very high price of gold on the world market will continue to fuel mining activities which will impact on the forest eco system,Derick Brassard Rangers Jersey,” WWF stated.The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has called on miners throughout the country to increase their production and take advantage of the price of gold, setting an ambitious target of 400,000 ounces for this year.Gold mining in the interiorWWF worked with France’s National Forestry Office using satellite images and other digitized data to determine the rate of deforestation of areas in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Northern Brazil (Amapa) due to small- and medium-scale mining activities.WWF said it recognizes the urgent need for immediate action in the interior of the Guianas (Guyana,Glenn Anderson Rangers Jersey, Suriname and French Guiana) to minimize degradation.“The use of inappropriate mining practices is creating extensive damage to the fragile tropical environment in the mining areas. Gold deposits in the Guianas are associated with the Greenstone Belt,Brendan Shanahan Red Wings Jersey, an ancient metamorphic rock formation that cuts right through the Guyanas (sic) from east to west, and has the potential for hosting precious metals such as gold,” the group said.According to WWF, hydraulic mining is the most common gold mining method used in the Guianas today.  Current estimates suggest that there are about 5,000 to 8,Evgeny Kuznetsov Capitals Jersey,000 mining units in operation; each unit employs about 5 to 8 persons.“Heavy equipment and powerful hydraulic jets are used to remove the overburden and the forest cover in order to expose the ore body. When heavy equipment is used large piles of overburden can be seen next to the excavated mining pits,” WWF stated.Because the soil in these piles is loose it erodes quickly into nearby creeks and rivers causing increased turbidity and siltation. When the hydraulic system is used to remove the overburden it disappears as effluent into the waterways. No effort is made to protect the aesthetic or the physical values of some areas.WWF said deforestation from gold mining causes significant erosion in the sloping landscapes of the mining areas,Braden Holtby Capitals Jersey, leading to changes in soil quality, which slows down forest regeneration. The large volume of discharge of effluent from hydraulic mining operations also causes turbidity and siltation downstream from the mining sites. Large plumes can be seen emerging from the creek that flow into the main rivers, discolouring the dark brown water into muddy brown.“These discharges are destroying floral ecosystems and causing a significant shift in fish populations,Brian Leetch Rangers Jersey, reducing the much desired species and allowing species that are not consumed to proliferate.“Disturbances in terrain and hydrology also result in stagnant pools that become breeding places for malaria vectors. The illegal and uncontrolled gold mining is having an impact on nature conservation efforts in the Guianas,” WWF stated.Small scale gold mining is a highly complex and highly controversial issue in the Guianas. WWF acknowledged the important economic effect of the sector on local communities as well as on the national GDP.WWF has been collaborating with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), the University of Guyana (UG) and individual small and medium scale miners to address the issues confronting the sector.As a part of its effort to support the governments in improving the monitoring of gold mining activities and deforestation in connection with the REDD and REDD+ initiatives,Tomas Tatar Red Wings Jersey, WWF Guianas will  be handing over copies of all the data,Pierre Turgeon Canadiens Jersey, satellite images and maps to the relevant governmental agencies in Guyana.WWF Guianas said it is fully committed to working with all the various stakeholders in the mining sector in the Guianas to ensure that the major threats to the human and physical environment that result from mining are minimized.“The task is undoubtedly enormous but the organisation will continue to make gold mining pollution abatement one of the central planks of its regional environmental conservation programme for the benefit of present and future generations.”