Topic: The Environmental Impact of Mining
Country: Laos
Delegate Name: Anthony Moncman
School: Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Laos position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
United Environmental Protection Programme The Environmental Impact of Mining Lao People’s Democratic Republic Anthony Moncman
Mining is the removal of minerals from the earth, and there is many different ways to do so, from placer mining to mountaintop removal. One of these types of mining is placer mining which hardly damages the environment, because it does not leave much waste and it is not wasteful although it is much more difficult to practice. Other mining methods, such as open-pit mining harm the environment in many more ways. Many surface mining methods contribute to the deforestation of large forests. Most methods of mining leave “tailings” that is harmful to the environment. Lao People’s Democratic Republic have many forests that are being negatively affected by methods of mining that require much land and the mismanagement and lack of responsibility by the mining companies. Much of the peoples’ land and work in the country has been affected by the mining taking place for oil, copper, and other minerals or natural gases. Copper in runoff water has taken a hard toll on such villages and their residents; mining has destroyed their farmland and in a lot of cases the streams or rivers in these small areas. This has led to a falling per capita income for farmers and multiple fishermen. Lao People’s Democratic Republic urges the United Nations to support the regulations of all practices of mining. In being successful, the regulation of mining would promote a much more stable environment for all nations heading into future years. This would reduce pollution caused by mining thus reducing pollution caused by many nations.
