The Impact of Mining and Its Water Pollution on Indigenous Peoples

🌱 How does mining impact people and the planet?

Mining strongly affects ecosystems and the people surrounding the area. Overall, mining is estimated to impact 23 million people worldwide.[i] Open-pit mining is especially known to “destro[y] vast territories, including wetlands, underground aquifers, springs and rivers”. Mining can “creat[e] unacceptable risks of toxic contamination, not only of indigenous peoples' drinking water supplies on site, but also of downstream populations, often occurring in river headwaters”.[ii]

🌱 Why do Indigenous Peoples lack access to water infrastructure?

It is estimated that there are currently 476 million Indigenous individuals spread across more than 90 countries. Therewith, Indigenous Peoples represent 6.2% of the world population. Yet, they also make up 18.7% of “the extremely poor” and approximately 33% of people “living in extreme poverty in rural areas”.[iii] This also has an impact on their access to water infrastructure and clean water.

🌱 What challenges do Indigenous Peoples currently face?

Indigenous Peoples currently face several challenges that undermine their access to clean water and proper sanitation.[iv] Key issues include the “pollution of available water resources” of Indigenous Peoples, as well as the “lack of consultation on policies and projects affecting their water and sanitation rights”.[v] Moreover, “mining, the construction of immense hydroelectric dams, the development of large agricultural and livestock farms, massive land and water-grabbing processes and the development of large tourism projects in their territories are damaging and contaminating their water sources and putting their livelihoods at risk”.[vi]

🌱 What is the impact of water pollution on Indigenous Peoples?

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “the impact of extractivism on natural resources, compounded with the effects of climate change, has meant many indigenous peoples no longer have access to safe drinking water under international human rights standards”.[vii] Overall, “[t]he degradation of the water bodies from which indigenous peoples draw their water [...] have disproportionate impacts on the health of indigenous peoples, especially women and children”.[viii] The “toxic contamination [of water], together with the impacts of climate change and the lack of investment in necessary infrastructure” cause major issues.[ix]

This post has been adapted from a newsletter written by Krisna Baghouzian and Christine Nikander. The newsletter titled “How does mining impact Indigenous Peoples’ water rights?” was originally published in “The E-Waste Newsletter”.

[i] M. G. Macklin et al., Impacts of metal mining on river systems: a global assessment. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg6704 (26.03.2025); Victoria Gill, Metal-mining pollution impacts 23 million people worldwide. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66880697 (26.03.2025).

[ii] Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation of indigenous peoples: State of affairs and lessons from ancestral cultures. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, p. 10. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/water/2022-11-04/A-HRC-51-24-Friendly-version-EN.pdf (19.03.2025).

[iii] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Indigenous peoples face growing challenges to access safe water. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/10/indigenous-peoples-face-growing-challenges-access-safe-water (19.03.2025).

[iv] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Indigenous peoples face growing challenges to access safe water. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/10/indigenous-peoples-face-growing-challenges-access-safe-water (19.03.2025); The Indigenous Foundation, Lack of Clean Drinking Water in Indigenous communities. https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/lack-of-clean-drinking-water-in-indigenous-communities (19.03.2025).

[v] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Indigenous peoples face growing challenges to access safe water. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/10/indigenous-peoples-face-growing-challenges-access-safe-water (19.03.2025); The Indigenous Foundation, Lack of Clean Drinking Water in Indigenous communities. https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/lack-of-clean-drinking-water-in-indigenous-communities (19.03.2025).

[vi] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, A/HRC/51/24: Human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation of indigenous peoples: state of affairs and lessons from ancestral cultures. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5124-human-rights-safe-drinking-water-and-sanitation-indigenous  (19.03.2025).

[vii] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Indigenous peoples face growing challenges to access safe water. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/10/indigenous-peoples-face-growing-challenges-access-safe-water (19.03.2025).

[viii] Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation of indigenous peoples: State of affairs and lessons from ancestral cultures. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, p. 5. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/water/2022-11-04/A-HRC-51-24-Friendly-version-EN.pdf (19.03.2025).

[ix] Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation of indigenous peoples: State of affairs and lessons from ancestral cultures. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, p. 11. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/water/2022-11-04/A-HRC-51-24-Friendly-version-EN.pdf (19.03.2025); The Indigenous Foundation, Lack of Clean Drinking Water in Indigenous communities. https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/lack-of-clean-drinking-water-in-indigenous-communities (19.03.2025).