BOGOTA, (Reuters) – The number of square kilometers used for alluvial gold production in Colombia fell 3.9% in 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Tuesday.
The area affected by alluvial gold production declined to 947.3 square kilometers (365.8 square miles) last year, down from 985.6 square kilometers in 2021, the UNODC said in a press conference.
About 73% of alluvial output last year was illegal, the UNODC said, compared to 65% in 2021.
Large-scale illegal gold production by crime gangs, leftist rebels and others – whether along waterways or underground – causes grave environmental damage in one of the world’s most biodiverse countries and negatively affects output by licensed companies.
Where illegal gold mining and coca crops converge is a cause for concern, the UNODC added.
“Approximately 44% of territories where (alluvial gold) is present are also found coca crops, with which can be established that the two phenomena converge in the same places,” the UNODC said.
Colombia’s Choco province saw the highest levels of alluvial gold exploitation across the country, accounting for representing 40% of the national total, the UNODC said.
Around half of the alluvial gold production takes place in areas that are subject to restrictions, in order to protect the environment, the UNODC said, adding that 88% of such mining in these areas was illegal.
