ABSTRACT

Mining is second only to agriculture in its importance to the economy of Guyana. It represented around a quarter of Gross Domestic Product in the mid-1990s, but with the rapid expansion of gold mining, particularly at Omai, prospects looked good for future expansion. The new large scale gold mining activities raise other environmental concerns. The massive new venture at Omai is a huge open-pit gold mine, involving clear felling with state of the art processing. Minerals currently being mined include silica sand, shells, kaolin and other clays, semi-precious stones and stone aggregate. The Omai disaster marked a turning point in people’s awareness of the potential dangers associated with the rapid expansion of mining activities. Missile dredging operations also affect local fishing, as mining depositions cover traditional rocky spawning grounds. Key environmental issues include deforestation for silica sand mining and stone quarries, whilst shell mining can undermine coastal protection and negatively impact on local flora and fauna.