In places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, all sorts of illegal “artisanal” miners are digging into and panning river waters for minerals and metals vital to contemporary life. Now, per a report in the journal Science, satellite images are showing a surge of ecological damage directly attributable to such practices in as many as 173 tropical rivers across 49 countries worldwide.
Artisanal miners are individuals striking out on their own, much like the California Forty-Niners. They dig and mine for mineral riches while paying little heed to safety or environmental regulations.