El Salvador has become the first country to ban metal mining, following a unanimous vote in its legislative assembly. The country, the most densely populated in Latin America, has difficulty retaining its water supply due to soil erosion and deforestation resulting from poor industrial controls and unsustainable farming. More than 90% of El Salvador’s surface waters are also believed to be polluted by chemicals, heavy metals and waste matter. Last October, an international tribunal rejected a claim for compensation by mining company OceanaGold which had been refused permission to dig for gold by the Salvadoran government.
El Salvador has become the first country to ban metal mining, following a unanimous vote in its legislative assembly. The country, the most densely populated in Latin America, has difficulty retaining its water supply due to soil erosion and deforestation resulting from poor industrial controls and unsustainable farming. Over 90% of El Salvador’s surface waters are also believed to be polluted by chemicals, heavy metals and waste matter. Last October, an international tribunal rejected a claim for compensation by mining company OceanaGold which had been refused permission to dig for gold by the Salvadoran government.