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The Guardian
04-08-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Tapirs, hummingbirds and a billion-dollar bedrock of gold: the Ecuador reserve that is now a battlefield over a new mine
Golden grasses, mossy hummocks and scattered lakes unfurl across the highlands of Macizo del Cajas, Azuay province. The vastness of this high-altitude Ecuadorian moorland combines with its near-silence to create an empty, alien atmosphere. But this unique landscape teems with life. The páramo – a high-altitude tropical ecosystem that stretches across the northern Andes – is a living sponge, quietly drawing moisture from the clouds that drift at more than 3,000 metres (9,800ft) above sea level. Endangered mountain tapirs and endemic hummingbirds hide among the twisted, copper-barked Polylepis trees. Beneath the ground, ancient tectonic shifts and glaciers have cracked the bedrock, channelling water through veins that feed six large rivers, supplying mountain communities, cities and fragile ecosystems – including the Ecuadorian Amazon. That bedrock, however, also holds billions of dollars in gold, silver and copper. For more than three decades, these deposits have made the Cajas a battlefield between Ecuadorians who see large-scale mining as the answer to the country's economic woes and those who see it as an existential threat. Unesco designated the Cajas a biosphere reserve in 2013, but the title offers scant protection. Mining companies now hold more than 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of concessions in the Cajas, with more than 15,000 of those hectares in the páramo. Authorities say that the government has given the most important segments of ecosystems protected or national park status. But scientists argue that the zoning is arbitrary. 'What areas are 'protected' is a political decision, not a technical one,' says Juan Carlos Sánchez-Nivicela, a herpetologist and conservation biologist who has been studying Ecuador's high-altitude ecosystems for more than a decade. 'You can't separate these areas. Any damage done to one directly affects the other.' So far, large-scale mining activity in the páramos has been limited to exploration – in part, thanks to local resistance, inside and outside the courtroom. But now, new battle lines are being drawn in the Cajas. On 23 June, the Canadian mining multinational Dundee Precious Metals was granted its environmental licence for exploitation of the Loma Larga project, which sits on the Quimsacocha páramo and surrounds the protected area. 'The company has satisfactorily fulfilled all requirements and prerequisites necessary … which is very difficult and time consuming in my country,' says Patricio Vargas Coronel, president of Cuenca's Chamber of Mining. 'It can now sign the mining contract and begin construction, generating about 1,200 jobs and an investment of $450m (£337m).' Dundee's president and CEO, David Rae, touts the achievement as 'an important milestone for Loma Larga – an attractive future growth opportunity for [Dundee] with significant potential to deliver strong returns for our investors and stakeholders'. Activists and ecologists, however, allege that the mine could cause enormous environmental damage, that the government has failed to properly consult local communities, and that they are subject to intimidation and surveillance for protesting against the mine. Dundee rejects the claims. 'We are being followed,' says Esther Remache, an anti-mining activist, pointing out the white pickup truck trailing behind. 'Oh, they're just looking after us,' replies Federico Guzmán, councillor for Cuenca and another longtime activist, with a wink. The road to Loma Larga is public, and cuts through the Quimsacocha recreation area. Yet, it's lined with private security personnel who peer out from booths guarding the offices and buildings of Dundee Precious Metals. As Guzman parks his vehicle, the pickup behind also stops and a guard exits, using his phone to film the group of activists, almost all of whom are over 60. 'They always follow us when we go up here,' says Remache, who believes this is an intimidation technique. 'They'll openly photograph us … you have to wonder, what are those photos for?' In a letter to the Guardian, Dundee representatives denied these allegations, noting that all Loma Larga security personnel 'have undergone human rights training and behave with full respect'. They said that the project's fence had been frequently vandalised, and guards took action to prevent trespassing, but that Dundee 'regularly welcomes visitors to the project area'. Quimsacocha, a páramo at an altitude between 3,600m and 3,900m, is a vital water source and biodiversity refuge. It's here that Sánchez-Nivicela says he rediscovered a tiny frog thought to be extinct. 'There's something like 20-plus amphibian species in the Cajas: 80 to 90% of these are endemic – but we keep finding more each year,' he says. Scientists warn that mining in Cajas could irreversibly destroy fragile ecosystems and poison the water supply that hundreds of thousands of people depend on. 'Protection is not just a matter of the environment,' says Sandra Barros, a municipal hydrology engineer who evaluated the risks of the Loma Larga project. 'It is a matter of survival.' Several past referendums held in affected communities had rejected mining in local watersheds. In 2023, a provincial court upheld the decision to suspend the Loma Larga project, but also opened the door for Dundee to revive its project if new environmental studies and local consultations showed support. In April, Daniel Noboa, the country's recently re-elected president, extended the Loma Larga concession for another 25 years. In 2024, he attended the world's largest mining conference in Canada to reassure investors that a new era of Ecuadorian mining was dawning. Current gold prices value Loma Larga's estimated deposits at more than $6bn. Ecuador's government also stands to make hundreds of millions from the project. On 23 June, the country's environmental ministry quietly approved the project's environmental licence – the final hurdle for Dundee to begin exploitation. Dundee's environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Loma Larga claimed mining posed only a 'mild risk' to the ecosystem. However, a study by the municipal water and sanitation company (ETAPA) claimed there were dozens of errors and omissions in that assessment. It concluded mining risked serious, potentially irreversible damage to nature, water resources, and public health in the Quimsacocha region. Other studies corroborate the ETAPA's findings. 'Do you think contamination would stop at some arbitrary red line just because [the mining company] says that's where their impact stops? Of course not. Any contamination will end up in the rivers downstream,' says Barros, the ETAPA study's main author. Dundee, however, called the ETAPAreport 'misinformation' and says that it is 'designing and advancing Loma Larga in line with the highest standards for environmental and water management', pointing to the positive results of its EIA, the evaluation and approval of which 'is the sole responsibility of the ministry for the environment, not ETAPA'. The environment ministry did not respond to the Guardian's requests for comment, and on July 24, Noboa eliminated the environment ministry entirely, transferring its responsibilities to fall under the ministry for mining. Ecuador's constitution requires the government to consult local and Indigenous communities before allowing any mining project to begin. Under Noboa, however, allegations of irregularities in this process have become so widespread that UN human rights officials issued a formal warning last year, saying Indigenous groups and local communities were being excluded from consultations, not offered complete information, and arrested for protest or criticism of projects. 'We are concerned that the failure to convene all potentially affected people, together with the lack of full and impartial information regarding the potential negative consequences of these projects have exacerbated social conflict,' the UN experts say. In other parts of Ecuador, the government has responded to protests with force. When communities protested against Canadian mining in Ecuador's north-western cloud forest last year, Noboa sent in the military. Security forces injured at least 36 people, and more than 100 were charged with terrorism or organised crime offences. In May, the ministry of energy and mines (MEM) said authorities had finished consulting local communities on Loma Larga, and reported that they had agreed to let the project proceed to exploitation. Communities had 'access to ample, timely and adequate information' on the vote, MEM said. But community members and activists had a starkly different view of the consultation: of eight interviewed, not one said they knew that it had taken place. They recalled a day in January, when the environment ministry sent 200 police and troops to 'oversee' a vote on the mine outside town. Instead, one said, authorities were forced to cancel the vote. 'People saw the soldiers, the militarised area, the tents and they showed up to protest,' says Nataly Torres, a sociologist and member of the community. In its report, MEM characterises the protest as 'violent incidents … restricting the right of other members of the community to be consulted'. Dundee says it cooperated with all of Ecuador's 'strict and well-defined regulations'. In a statement, the ministry said that communities had been consulted in accordance with the law. The fear of state violence now hangs over environmental defenders in the Cajas region as well, activists say. 'Now, they have bigger, deadlier arms, and they use them to intimidate us,' Remache says. And the stakes are high for biodiversity, water and communities. 'Any disturbance, any change in land use, any extractive activity [in the Cajas] will directly affect species that have nowhere else to go,' Sánchez says. 'We'll lose not only unique species but also the water supplying entire communities,' he adds. And the outcome here may set a precedent for the rest of Ecuador. 'This is the mother of all battles,' says Carlos Castro, a legal professor and opponent of mining in the region. 'If we lose here, the rest will fall like dominoes.' Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
The Guardian
04-08-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Tapirs, hummingbirds and a billion-dollar bedrock of gold: the Ecuador reserve that is now a battlefield over a new mine
Golden grasses, mossy hummocks and scattered lakes unfurl across the highlands of Macizo del Cajas, Azuay province. The vastness of this high-altitude Ecuadorian moorland combines with its near-silence to create an empty, alien atmosphere. But this unique landscape teems with life. The páramo – a high-altitude tropical ecosystem that stretches across the northern Andes – is a living sponge, quietly drawing moisture from the clouds that drift at more than 3,000 metres (9,800ft) above sea level. Endangered mountain tapirs and endemic hummingbirds hide among the twisted, copper-barked Polylepis trees. Beneath the ground, ancient tectonic shifts and glaciers have cracked the bedrock, channelling water through veins that feed six large rivers, supplying mountain communities, cities and fragile ecosystems – including the Ecuadorian Amazon. That bedrock, however, also holds billions of dollars in gold, silver and copper. For more than three decades, these deposits have made the Cajas a battlefield between Ecuadorians who see large-scale mining as the answer to the country's economic woes and those who see it as an existential threat. Unesco designated the Cajas a biosphere reserve in 2013, but the title offers scant protection. Mining companies now hold more than 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of concessions in the Cajas, with more than 15,000 of those hectares in the páramo. Authorities say that the government has given the most important segments of ecosystems protected or national park status. But scientists argue that the zoning is arbitrary. 'What areas are 'protected' is a political decision, not a technical one,' says Juan Carlos Sánchez-Nivicela, a herpetologist and conservation biologist who has been studying Ecuador's high-altitude ecosystems for more than a decade. 'You can't separate these areas. Any damage done to one directly affects the other.' So far, large-scale mining activity in the páramos has been limited to exploration – in part, thanks to local resistance, inside and outside the courtroom. But now, new battle lines are being drawn in the Cajas. On 23 June, the Canadian mining multinational Dundee Precious Metals was granted its environmental licence for exploitation of the Loma Larga project, which sits on the Quimsacocha páramo and surrounds the protected area. 'The company has satisfactorily fulfilled all requirements and prerequisites necessary … which is very difficult and time consuming in my country,' says Patricio Vargas Coronel, president of Cuenca's Chamber of Mining. 'It can now sign the mining contract and begin construction, generating about 1,200 jobs and an investment of $450m (£337m).' Dundee's president and CEO, David Rae, touts the achievement as 'an important milestone for Loma Larga – an attractive future growth opportunity for [Dundee] with significant potential to deliver strong returns for our investors and stakeholders'. Activists and ecologists, however, allege that the mine could cause enormous environmental damage, that the government has failed to properly consult local communities, and that they are subject to intimidation and surveillance for protesting against the mine. Dundee rejects the claims. 'We are being followed,' says Esther Remache, an anti-mining activist, pointing out the white pickup truck trailing behind. 'Oh, they're just looking after us,' replies Federico Guzmán, councillor for Cuenca and another longtime activist, with a wink. The road to Loma Larga is public, and cuts through the Quimsacocha recreation area. Yet, it's lined with private security personnel who peer out from booths guarding the offices and buildings of Dundee Precious Metals. As Guzman parks his vehicle, the pickup behind also stops and a guard exits, using his phone to film the group of activists, almost all of whom are over 60. 'They always follow us when we go up here,' says Remache, who believes this is an intimidation technique. 'They'll openly photograph us … you have to wonder, what are those photos for?' In a letter to the Guardian, Dundee representatives denied these allegations, noting that all Loma Larga security personnel 'have undergone human rights training and behave with full respect'. They said that the project's fence had been frequently vandalised, and guards took action to prevent trespassing, but that Dundee 'regularly welcomes visitors to the project area'. Quimsacocha, a páramo at an altitude between 3,600m and 3,900m, is a vital water source and biodiversity refuge. It's here that Sánchez-Nivicela says he rediscovered a tiny frog thought to be extinct. 'There's something like 20-plus amphibian species in the Cajas: 80 to 90% of these are endemic – but we keep finding more each year,' he says. Scientists warn that mining in Cajas could irreversibly destroy fragile ecosystems and poison the water supply that hundreds of thousands of people depend on. 'Protection is not just a matter of the environment,' says Sandra Barros, a municipal hydrology engineer who evaluated the risks of the Loma Larga project. 'It is a matter of survival.' Several past referendums held in affected communities had rejected mining in local watersheds. In 2023, a provincial court upheld the decision to suspend the Loma Larga project, but also opened the door for Dundee to revive its project if new environmental studies and local consultations showed support. In April, Daniel Noboa, the country's recently re-elected president, extended the Loma Larga concession for another 25 years. In 2024, he attended the world's largest mining conference in Canada to reassure investors that a new era of Ecuadorian mining was dawning. Current gold prices value Loma Larga's estimated deposits at more than $6bn. Ecuador's government also stands to make hundreds of millions from the project. On 23 June, the country's environmental ministry quietly approved the project's environmental licence – the final hurdle for Dundee to begin exploitation. Dundee's environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Loma Larga claimed mining posed only a 'mild risk' to the ecosystem. However, a study by the municipal water and sanitation company (ETAPA) claimed there were dozens of errors and omissions in that assessment. It concluded mining risked serious, potentially irreversible damage to nature, water resources, and public health in the Quimsacocha region. Other studies corroborate the ETAPA's findings. 'Do you think contamination would stop at some arbitrary red line just because [the mining company] says that's where their impact stops? Of course not. Any contamination will end up in the rivers downstream,' says Barros, the ETAPA study's main author. Dundee, however, called the ETAPAreport 'misinformation' and says that it is 'designing and advancing Loma Larga in line with the highest standards for environmental and water management', pointing to the positive results of its EIA, the evaluation and approval of which 'is the sole responsibility of the ministry for the environment, not ETAPA'. The environment ministry did not respond to the Guardian's requests for comment, and on July 24, Noboa eliminated the environment ministry entirely, transferring its responsibilities to fall under the ministry for mining. Ecuador's constitution requires the government to consult local and Indigenous communities before allowing any mining project to begin. Under Noboa, however, allegations of irregularities in this process have become so widespread that UN human rights officials issued a formal warning last year, saying Indigenous groups and local communities were being excluded from consultations, not offered complete information, and arrested for protest or criticism of projects. 'We are concerned that the failure to convene all potentially affected people, together with the lack of full and impartial information regarding the potential negative consequences of these projects have exacerbated social conflict,' the UN experts say. In other parts of Ecuador, the government has responded to protests with force. When communities protested against Canadian mining in Ecuador's north-western cloud forest last year, Noboa sent in the military. Security forces injured at least 36 people, and more than 100 were charged with terrorism or organised crime offences. In May, the ministry of energy and mines (MEM) said authorities had finished consulting local communities on Loma Larga, and reported that they had agreed to let the project proceed to exploitation. Communities had 'access to ample, timely and adequate information' on the vote, MEM said. But community members and activists had a starkly different view of the consultation: of eight interviewed, not one said they knew that it had taken place. They recalled a day in January, when the environment ministry sent 200 police and troops to 'oversee' a vote on the mine outside town. Instead, one said, authorities were forced to cancel the vote. 'People saw the soldiers, the militarised area, the tents and they showed up to protest,' says Nataly Torres, a sociologist and member of the community. In its report, MEM characterises the protest as 'violent incidents … restricting the right of other members of the community to be consulted'. Dundee says it cooperated with all of Ecuador's 'strict and well-defined regulations'. In a statement, the ministry said that communities had been consulted in accordance with the law. The fear of state violence now hangs over environmental defenders in the Cajas region as well, activists say. 'Now, they have bigger, deadlier arms, and they use them to intimidate us,' Remache says. And the stakes are high for biodiversity, water and communities. 'Any disturbance, any change in land use, any extractive activity [in the Cajas] will directly affect species that have nowhere else to go,' Sánchez says. 'We'll lose not only unique species but also the water supplying entire communities,' he adds. And the outcome here may set a precedent for the rest of Ecuador. 'This is the mother of all battles,' says Carlos Castro, a legal professor and opponent of mining in the region. 'If we lose here, the rest will fall like dominoes.' Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Time of India
Man booked for rape, fraud after social media connection turns criminal
Nagpur: A 34-year-old man from Narkhed was booked for rape and cheating after allegedly taking money from a woman he met on social media and later assaulting her. The accused, identified as Umesh Parihar, befriended the complainant, a resident of Hudkeshwar, between March 8 and March 18. As per police, the accused exploited the complainant's trust by claiming his mother was seriously ill. He allegedly obtained a total of Rs1.4 lakh from her in cash and online transfers. The woman alleged Parihar invited her to Hudkeshwar, forcibly made her sit in his vehicle, and threatened to defame her. He then drove her to a hotel within the limits of Sakkardara police station, where he allegedly forced himself on her. When the woman later demanded her money back, the accused refused and repeated his threats. The survivor lodged a complaint with the Sakkardara Police, who registered a case under charges related to sexual assault and criminal intimidation. The case is being investigated further. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Azuay: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Police officials have confirmed that the accused is yet to be taken into custody, and further steps will be taken as the investigation progresses. The case emphasises the growing concerns over crimes originating from online connections and reinforces the need for caution while interacting with strangers over social media.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
April heat at new highs in Pune: Lohegaon logs record 25 days at or above 40°C, Shivajinagar 14
Pune: Unprecedented heat left the city baked this April when Lohegaon logged a record 25 days at or above 40°C — highest for the month in a decade. The location also experienced an April high of 43.6°C, smashing a 45-year-old record of day temperature for the month. Shivajinagar also faced extreme heat in April, with 14 days either touching or crossing the 40°C-mark — the most in April over the past 12 years. The previous high was in 2019, when Shivajinagar recorded 12 days at or above 40°C in April. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Historical data from Lohegaon showed a concerning trend over the past decade in April. The number of days when the location recorded 40°C or above temperatures in April was 11 in 2016, fourteen in 2017, ten in 2018, seventeen in 2019, three in 2020, one in 2021, nine in 2022, one in 2023 and twelve in 2024. Lohegaon witnessed a record-shattering 25 days of such heat in April 2025. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Azuay: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The highest April temperatures recorded at Lohegaon over recent years also showed that 2025 has been the hottest so far: 41°C (2016), 42.8°C (2017), 41.6°C (2018), 43°C (2019), 40.3°C (2020), 40°C (2021), 41.7°C (2022), 40.7°C (2023), 42.5°C (2024); and now the all-time record of 43.6°C (2025). For Shivajinagar, the number of days at or crossing the 40°C-threshold in April has fluctuated over the past decade: 3 days in 2013, four in 2014, one in 2015, eleven in 2016, six in 2017, two in 2018, twelve in 2019, one in 2020, zero in 2021, seven in 2022, one in 2023, seven in 2024, and now 2025 with a record 14 days. On the causes behind such extreme temperatures, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said: "There are two main factors at play. First, we've had an unusually dry March and April with only one day of very light rainfall and thunderstorm activity. In years with fewer 40°C-plus days, we typically see more pre-monsoon thundershowers over the Pune area. Clouds scatter sunrays and inhibit warming, but with clear skies throughout most of this month, we're seeing more intense heating." He added: "The second factor is the persistent anti-cyclonic circulation over Madhya Maharashtra. This creates a descending motion in the atmosphere that inhibits vertical movement of air. Without this vertical motion, there's no significant cloud formation or condensation, which would typically provide some relief from the heat." The IMD official said Shivajinagar observatory was surrounded by thick vegetation, creating a good cluster of green cover. He said, "In contrast, the Lohegaon airfield is completely devoid of vegetation, with the weather sensors placed at the runway end, which has no shade from trees or buildings. That's why there is typically a 2–3°C difference between Lohegaon and Shivajinagar temperatures." The official said: "Pashan reports temperatures similar to Shivajinagar. Secondly, the type of instruments matters as well. Shivajinagar uses a conventional observatory set-up. This means that the reliance is on thermometers. Lohegaon has sensor-based temperature recording instruments. This also leads to variation, which is quite natural." He added: "Even in Delhi, for example, where there are four or five observatories, you'll see temperature differences because of local conditions — vegetation, nature of the terrain, and the material present. Lohegaon's tarmac is all concrete, which absorbs and radiates more heat. Vegetated areas absorb less heat and re-radiate less back into the surroundings." An expert from blog Vagaries of Weather said even the nights in Pune were unforgiving in April 2025. "The average minimum temperature in Shivajinagar this April was 21.5°C, which is the second highest in the last 12 years. The highest average minimum temperature in April in the last 12 years was recorded at 21.6°C in 2022. This effectively means that Pune's nights this April were among the warmest for the month," the expert said. After April, May too has started in Pune with breaking heat records. "Shivajinagar recorded 41.2° C on May 1, which was the highest May day temperature in the locality after 2019 and also second highest May day temperature in the last decade," he said.
