Key Findings
- Mercury Pollution: Up to 16× the legal limit in water samples
- Power Generation: 50% reduction (40MW → 20MW)
- Water Safety: Unsafe for drinking and irrigation
- Turbidity Crisis: Pre-stop: 210 NTU; Post-stop: 80 NTU (safe: <50 NTU)
- Fishing: ~500 fishermen displaced by contamination
- Agriculture: Hundreds of families lost irrigation access
Mining Detection (Map Overlay)
What you're seeing: Purple-to-red polygons show areas where mining activity was detected via satellite imagery. Colors indicate the first year mining was identified in each area (2017=Purple earliest, 2024=Red latest).
⚠️ Important: These are approximate detection areas, not precise hectare measurements. Use them to identify field investigation sites.
Environmental Impacts
- Mercury, arsenic, and cyanide from gold mining
- Muddy, reddish water from sediment runoff
- Acidic pH, elevated chromium and copper
- Sludge clogging hydroelectric turbines
- Destruction of aquatic biodiversity
Food Security Threats
- Contaminated fish unsafe for consumption
- Loss of tilapia and protein sources
- Irrigation water unusable for crops
- Soil contamination from polluted water
- Long-term agricultural decline
Created By
Timon Weitkamp
timon@resiliencebv.com
Resilience BV
Part of Resilience BV Research Business Unit - Saterra
Data Sources
This visualization documents environmental degradation at Chicamba Dam, Manica Province, Mozambique, caused by artisanal gold mining (2017-2024).