Home / Environment / UN Flags Toxic Mercury Crisis Threatening Indigenous Lives in Colombia
UN Flags Toxic Mercury Crisis Threatening Indigenous Lives in Colombia
15 Oct
Summary
- UN warns of "serious and ongoing human rights crisis" in Atrato River basin
- Over a third of population exposed to mercury levels exceeding WHO limits
- Illegal gold mining fuels deforestation and pollution, violating communities' rights
According to a recent UN report, the Atrato River basin in Colombia is facing a "serious and ongoing human rights crisis" due to toxic mercury contamination from illegal gold mining. The UN's special rapporteurs on toxics and human rights have warned the Colombian government that more than a third of the population in the Atrato watershed has been exposed to mercury levels exceeding World Health Organization limits.
The Atrato River, one of Colombia's largest waterways, winds through the lush jungles of the Choco region, home to predominantly Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. These communities rely on the river for food, water, and their cultural identity, but their livelihoods are now imperiled by the devastating pollution.
The UN has urged Colombia to take "immediate and effective" steps to curb illegal mining, clean up polluted sites, and provide specialized medical care for affected residents. However, the government has faced challenges in enforcing a 2016 court ruling that recognized the Atrato River as a legal entity with rights to protection and restoration. Lack of funding, political turnover, and alleged corruption have undermined the implementation of this landmark decision.
The UN rapporteurs have also raised concerns about the links between illegal mining and human rights abuses, including forced labor, prostitution, and displacement. They have called on Colombia to strengthen international regulations on mercury use in mining to help curb the cross-border trade in illicitly mined gold.
