Sand Caranavi: How mining destroys rivers
Join me in this video as I take you to the town of Caranavi in the Bolivian Yungas. One of the first things I noticed here was the massive sand extraction going on. A friend told me that Caranavi's local river, the Río Coroico, used to be beautiful with crystal-clear water just 25 years ago. That sparked my interest, and I decided to investigate further.
Besides the negative ecological impacts of sand mining, the often illegal and highly destructive gold mining industry is poisoning the river. I also had the chance to speak with the journalist Daniel Rivera about his investigation into how abandoned mines all over Bolivia are poisoning local communities and the environment.
Sources:
Investigation on water quality: Cuenca Del Rio Coroico / Cáritas Coroico
https://caritascoroico.org/el-monitoreo-de-la-calidad-del-agua-de-los-rios-de-la-cuenca-del-rio-coroico-continua-en-el-ano-2023/
Daniel Rivera's Investigation: "Bolivia, el país de la tierra envenenada"
https://www.connectas.org/especiales/bolivia-pais-de-la-tierra-envenenada/
World Bank data on sand exports:
https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ALL/year/2024/tradeflow/Exports/partner/WLD/product/250510
About Me:
I’m Luc Appold, a journalist who has lived long-term in Bolivia, covering this fascinating country at the heart of South America. Subscribe for more insights into Bolivia’s culture, politics, and people!
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Sand Mining
01:30 The Gold Mining Problem
01:50 Mining as a Bolivian Crisis
Besides the negative ecological impacts of sand mining, the often illegal and highly destructive gold mining industry is poisoning the river. I also had the chance to speak with the journalist Daniel Rivera about his investigation into how abandoned mines all over Bolivia are poisoning local communities and the environment.
Sources:
Investigation on water quality: Cuenca Del Rio Coroico / Cáritas Coroico
https://caritascoroico.org/el-monitoreo-de-la-calidad-del-agua-de-los-rios-de-la-cuenca-del-rio-coroico-continua-en-el-ano-2023/
Daniel Rivera's Investigation: "Bolivia, el país de la tierra envenenada"
https://www.connectas.org/especiales/bolivia-pais-de-la-tierra-envenenada/
World Bank data on sand exports:
https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ALL/year/2024/tradeflow/Exports/partner/WLD/product/250510
About Me:
I’m Luc Appold, a journalist who has lived long-term in Bolivia, covering this fascinating country at the heart of South America. Subscribe for more insights into Bolivia’s culture, politics, and people!
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Sand Mining
01:30 The Gold Mining Problem
01:50 Mining as a Bolivian Crisis
