Excessive gold mining in Putao District, Kachin State, has caused significant environmental damage and disrupted the livelihoods and social lives of local communities.
In the five years since the 2021 coup, gold mining has surged across all five townships of Putao District, with many locals willingly selling their land to mining operators.
Excessive gold mining has destroyed agricultural lands, contaminated streams, and made fish increasingly scarce, said a resident of Longshayang Village in Putao Township.
“Gold mining has made the climate hotter, and agriculture isn’t as successful as it used to be. It’s also become harder to dig ponds and latrines because the land is more prone to landslides. These are the impacts we’re facing now. Gold mining has drastically changed the natural environment. Streams have turned very muddy, and there are almost no aquatic animals left,” he said.
The most heavily affected gold mining areas are in Machanbaw Township, around the villages of Inhkargar, Jursut, Namhkam, and Namsabum, and south of the Mali Kha River, where locals have either sold their land to miners or are mining for gold themselves in their own yards. In Putao Township, gold mining is occurring in nearly every stream.
Putao, Machanbaw, Nogmung, and Kawnglanghpu townships in Putao District are largely controlled by junta-aligned militia groups, which allow mining operators to extract gold anywhere with the landowners’ consent.
In Sumprabum, another township in Putao District controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), gold mining is occurring along the Mali Kha River and in surrounding rural areas, making it one of the district’s most heavily mined regions.
The armed groups controlling Putao District do not enforce specific or systematic rules for gold mining, instead, they allow anyone to mine freely as long as they pay taxes and have the consent of local landowners.
On the other hand, the influx of migrant workers to gold mining sites has led to disputes with locals and a sharp rise in drug use, undermining the safety and well-being of local communities.
Moreover, instead of attending school, children are increasingly drawn to work in the gold mining industry, where they can earn attractive wages, raising long-term concerns for the education of future generations, a Namhkam villager said.
“Children don’t want to go to school anymore; they’re only interested in mining gold. Parents even encourage it. Working in the gold mines lets them earn money, so their focus shifts from education to mining. Some children’s morals also worsen when they start making money. The future of these kids is becoming a serious concern. This is yet another harmful effect of gold mining,” he told KNG.
Despite the widespread resource extraction in Kachin State, these projects have provided little support for local health, education, or social development, instead, they cause significant environmental damage, environmental activists have pointed out.
“The situation is the same at almost all jade and gold mining sites. The lives of local people haven’t improved at all. Instead, the natural environment has been severely damaged. The mountains are eroded, and every year the monsoon season brings floods. Jade mining reservoir bursts and soil dump site collapses have killed many people,” said Daw Cindy Aung, Director of the Kachin Environmental Group (KEG).
She also emphasized the need for specific policies to mitigate the impact of gold mining on local communities’ lives.
Before the coup, gold mining near residential areas in Putao District was minimal. However, after the coup, the situation worsened, with mining sites expanding even into villages, locals reported.
Similarly, gold mining has surged along the Ayeyarwady River, including areas around the Bala Min Htin Bridge in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, extending the activities even into urban areas.
