Resumen

PACAHUALA, Emilio Rosario; SANCHEZ-PIMENTEL, Janett; MEDINA-GAMERO, Aldo  y  KWAN-CHUNG, Chap Kau. Illegal mining and environmental degradation in the Amazon: a systematic review of the last 5 years. Rev. ciente. UCSA [online]. 2025, vol.12, n.3, pp.208-216. ISSN 2409-8752.  https://doi.org/10.18004/ucsa/2409-8752/2025.012.03.208.

The objective of this systematic review was to analyze the socio-environmental impacts generated by illegal mining in Latin America during the period 2020-2025. The PRISMA protocol was used for the identification, selection, and critical evaluation of 13 scientific articles obtained from databases such as Scopus, SciELO, and Dialnet. The inclusion criteria considered thematic relevance, access to the full text, Spanish or English language, and recency of publication. The results show that illegal mining causes severe environmental degradation, including deforestation, mercury contamination of water bodies, and loss of biodiversity. Socioeconomic impacts are also identified, such as land conflicts, forced displacement, and human rights violations in local communities. At the institutional level, regulatory gaps, insufficient oversight mechanisms, and limited cross-border cooperation for the control of this activity are observed. The review concludes that illegal mining is a complex and multidimensional problem that requires an intersectoral approach, strengthening of environmental governance, and comprehensive strategies that prioritize sustainability and social justice. It recommends promoting interdisciplinary research and the coordination of regional public policies.

Palabras clave : Environment; Natural resource exploitation; Water pollution; Latin America; Sustainable development; Legislation.

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