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Anthony Bebbington
Mark Williams Water and Mining Conflicts
in Peru
190
Impacts on water quality and quantity are their water supply. We report on one mine
among the most contentious aspects of site in Peru where water has become a par-
mining projects. Companies insist that the ticularly conflictive issue. We then provide a
use of modern technologies will ensure envi- detailed proposal for a monitoring plan to
ronmentally friendly mining practices. How- recover trust among stakeholders. A well-
ever, evidence of the negative environmental designed and executed monitoring plan for
impacts of past mining activity causes local water quantity and quality is critical to fos-
and downstream populations to worry that ter dialogue, consensus, trust, and trans-
new mining activities will adversely affect parency between mine and community.
Engaging with mining conflicts border with Ecuador (Figure 2). This con-
in Peru flict involves a UK-registered company,
Monterrico Metals plc; it has been moni-
The expansion of mineral extraction is tored by various organizations, among
accelerating in the Andes (Figure 1). them the Peru Support Group, a British
Some experts calculate that over 50% of civic association. Because of conflicting
Peru’s peasant communities have been testimony in the British Parliament by the
affected by mining activities. Alongside mining company and by local stakeholders
optimism that this will lead to significant in 2006, the Peru Support Group (PSG)
economic growth there is concern that agreed to form an independent delega-
the environmental costs might be unac- tion to visit the region and consider the
ceptably high. There are major stakes in nature of the conflict, its causes, and pos-
these conflicts, affecting everything from sible ways forward. The delegation
local livelihood sustainability to the sol- involved a member of the UK Parliament,
vency of national governments. Fears for a journalist, a social anthropologist and
water quantity and quality have triggered the authors: Anthony Bebbington led the
numerous and sometimes violent conflicts delegation and Mark Williams was the
FIGURE 1 View of the between miners and communities. expert hydrologist.
Yanacocha open pit gold mine One particularly conflictive site has The delegation engaged with the min-
in northern Peru—the largest been the Rio Blanco Project in the ing company, national government, and a
and probably most profitable in
the world. (Photo by Jeff Bury) Department of Piura, located along Peru’s range of national, regional, and communi-
191
192
193
194
Groundwater
Mine facilities such as waste rock dumps
and heap leach pads can reduce the
amount of groundwater recharge and
degrade water quality. Groundwater dis-
charge is often an important contributor
to stream flow, with the relative portion
of groundwater contribution to stream
flow often changing seasonally. Monitor-
ing of groundwater quantity and/or
quality can be an indicator of possible
future conditions in surface waters and
springs.
195
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS topic analyses, Mary Murphy Mine, Colorado. Environ- Colorado, Boulder. A hydrologist and
mental Geochemistry and Health 24:1–22. ecologist, he specializes in sur-
We thank the Peru Support Group, Diocesis of Chulu- PSG [Peru Support Group]. 2008. The Great Water face–groundwater interactions in moun-
canas, and Monterrico Metals plc for logistical and other Debate: Cause and Effect in Peru. Update Extra June tain areas. This paper draws on a
support given to the delegation. We also thank our co- 2008. London, United Kingdom: Peru Support Group. course he teaches for the National
delegates M. Connarty MP, H. O’Shaughnessy, and W. Available at http://www.perusupportgroup.org.uk/ Groundwater Association that focuses
Coxshall, as well as Professor Jeff Bury for mapping resources.html; accessed on 29 August 2008. on remediation of mines affected by
assistance [see also the MountainNotes section in this Racoviteanu A, Arnaud Y, Williams MW, Zapata M, AMD and which is designed for profes-
issue. –Editors]. Funding for Mark Williams was provided Ordonez J. 2008. Decadal changes in glacial parameters sional engineers, hydrologists, land use
through the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research for the Cordillera Blanca, Peru derived from SPOT 5 managers, and local stakeholders.
program funded by the US National Science Foundation satellite imagery and aerial photography. Journal of http://snobear.colorado.edu/Markw/
and by a Faculty Fellowship from the University of Col- Glaciology 54(186):499–510. mark.html
orado, Boulder. Anthony Bebbington was supported by an
Economic and Social Research Council Professorial AUTHORS
Research Fellowship (Grant Number RES051-27-0191).
Anthony Bebbington
FURTHER READING School of Environment and Development, University of
Manchester, Humanities Bridgeford Street Building,
Bebbington A, Connarty M, Coxshall W, O’Shaughnessy Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
H, Williams M. 2007. Mining and Development in Peru, tony.bebbington@manchester.ac.uk
with Special Reference to the Rio Blanco Project, Piura. Anthony Bebbington is Professor of Nature, Society
London, United Kingdom: Peru Support Group. and Development in the School of Environment and Devel-
Bebbington A, editor. 2007. Minería, movimientos opment at the University of Manchester, an ESRC Profes-
sociales y respuestas campesinas: Una ecología política sorial Fellow, and a Research Associate of the Centro
de transformaciones territoriales. Lima, Peru: IEP [Institu- Peruano de Estudios Sociales, Peru. A geographer, his
to de Estudios Peruanos] and CEPES [Centro Peruano de work in Latin America addresses the relationships among
Estudios Sociales]. civil society, livelihoods and development, and conflicts
Bridge G. 2004. Contested terrain: Mining and the envi- and extractive industries.
ronment. Annual Review of Environment and Resources http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/research/andes/
29:205–259.
Bury J. 2004. Livelihoods in transition: Transnational Mark Williams
gold mining operations and local change in Cajamarca, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Col-
Peru. Geographical Journal 170(1):78–91. orado at Boulder, UCB 450, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
Hazen JM, Williams MW, Stover B, Wireman M. 2002. markw@culter.colorado.edu
Acid mine drainage characterization and remediation Mark Williams is Professor of Geography and Fellow at
using a combination of hydrometric, chemical, and iso- the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of