The Amazon is still burning – and illegal mining could make it worse

The Brazilian government has banned most land clearing for 60 days, in an attempt to stop the fires which have devastated parts of the Amazon rainforest.

It’s unlikely to assuage the worldwide concern over the huge number of fires which are continuing to rage throughout the Amazon rainforest.

But another drain on natural resources there – and one far less reported – is mining, especially illegal gold mining.

Our Latin America correspondent Guillermo Galdos has travelled near the town of Alta Floresta, in the Province of Mato Grosso – an area which has 30 listed gold mines, but where the number of illegal gold mines is  believed to be far higher.