A study reveals that mining in Brazil does not provide the expected economic benefits.

Vienna, July 28 (EFE) - An international study presented Monday in Vienna states that mining in Brazil does not serve—as political and economic leaders claim—to promote the country's economic development, but rather causes environmental damage and, in the case of informal mining, fuels deforestation.

Under the coordination of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), experts from the Vienna University of Economics (WU) and the University of Sao Paulo analyzed the long-term economic and environmental effects of mining in 5,000 municipalities in the South American country.

Illegal mining has skyrocketed in the Brazilian Amazon in Jair Bolsonaro's last year.

The study's findings have just been published in the international scientific journal Nature Communications.

"Our results show that, in many cases, the economic boost (from mining) is short-lived and accompanied by lasting environmental damage," said the study's lead author, Sebastian Luckeneder, in a statement released today in Vienna.

The research distinguishes between industrial mining, operated by companies and with legal permits, which is not linked to forest loss, and "garimpo" (informal) mining, which is often illegal and closely linked to deforestation.

There are no long-term economic benefits

Austrian and Brazilian researchers conclude that in both cases there are no long-term economic benefits for the regions where such mining takes place.

"Although industrial mining sometimes brings short-term economic growth, these benefits often disappear within a few years," co-author Juliana Siqueira-Gay of the University of São Paulo said in the statement.

"In some regions, we're even seeing signs of economic decline, both in mining areas and in neighboring municipalities," the environmental engineer adds.

The researchers add that the potential benefits of industrial mining depend on global commodity prices, which is why they consider "the excessive dependence on mining as a development strategy of serious concern."

Impose stricter regulations

Scientists are therefore urging policymakers to impose stricter regulations on mining, especially in vulnerable ecosystems like the Amazon.

"Mining will continue to be necessary for the supply of raw materials, but we must stop treating it as a magic bullet for economic development," concludes IIASA expert and co-author Michael Kuhn.

IIASA, founded during the Cold War for scientific exchange between East and West, is considered one of the most prestigious comprehensive and interdisciplinary think tanks in the world. EFE