Research indicates that as many as one third of Africa’s great apes are at risk due to the increase in mining activities aimed at extracting minerals essential for the shift towards renewable energy sources.
Rare earth elements are essential components in numerous aspects of modern life. Minerals like copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt are vital for supporting technologies such as clean energy, electric vehicles, telescope lenses, computer screens, and more. Nevertheless, the extraction of these elements from deep within the Earth can have detrimental ecological consequences.
Approximately 180,000 gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees are currently facing a significant risk. The act of mining poses a grave threat to these primates as it leads to the loss of their natural habitats, pollution, and the spread of diseases. Moreover, mining activities often result in the creation of roads within the forests, making it easier for hunters and farmers to access the primate habitats. This, in turn, exacerbates the already dire situation, considering that over two-thirds of primate species are already endangered and facing the possibility of extinction.
In Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Guinea, the regions with the highest concentration of apes and mining activities were found to overlap, including the 10 km and 50 km buffer zones. Among these countries, Guinea exhibited the most significant overlap in terms of both the proportion of the ape population and the total number of chimpanzees affected by mining. It was estimated that over 23,000 chimpanzees, which accounts for approximately 83% of Guinea’s ape population, could be directly or indirectly impacted by mining operations. Unfortunately, the areas that are most vulnerable due to their relatively high densities of apes and mining activities are not currently protected.
