In your view, what role should non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and citizen movements play in reducing the adverse environmental impacts of gold mining?
Mining activities, especially in gold industries, contributes significantly in destroying the environment. Despite its economic benefits, gold mining poses potential adverse effects on the environment. The adverse impacts are posed during and after the mining activities. As a result, the NGOs and citizen movements should play a significant role aiming at mitigating the environmental degradation issues and health problems and concerns that are caused by the gold mining operations (Hunsberger, Gibson, & Wismer, 2013).
Miners dig and live the earth having open-pit and hips of soil. The chemical used during the mining processes are harmful to both the lives of animals and humans. For instance, cyanide is one of the most poisonous chemicals known. Improper disposal of the wastes can hence result in the contamination of drinking water as well as the killing of the aquatic animals. The role of nongovernment and citizen movement’s should hence be on ensuring that the gold industries adhere to the set regulations to ensure that waste products and chemicals are not allowed to spill in any water channel.
In my view, nongovernment and citizen movements should also ensure that the perceptions of people in regards to the environmental problems have been changed. When citizens develop a different perspective concerning the adverse environmental impacts of gold mining activities, they will work toward improving the degradation activities that are caused by the operations. NGOS and citizen movement should ensure that the implemented environmental laws are enforced. They should also create awareness of the rules and regulations that are to be observed by gold mining companies to make sure that they are being adhered to during the operations. Both parties should also collaborate with the government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency in ensuring that gold mining processes are conducted in sustainability manner (Hunsberger et al., 2013).
References
Hunsberger, C. A., Gibson, R. B., & Wismer, S. K. (2013). Citizen involvement in sustainability-centred environmental assessment follow-up. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 25(6), 609-627.