Paul Kraaijer22 juni 2007 – 15:02

West-Suriname bedreigd door bauxietindustrie
WEST-SURINAME AREA THREATENED BY BAUXITE-MINING

By: Paul Kraaijer 22-06-2007

ZWOLLE, the Netherlands - Suriname, in the northern part of South America, is known for its huge bauxite mining areas. Around the towns of Paranam, Moengo and Lelydorp lots of forrests and daily live of the maroons are destroyed by activities of large miningcompanies like BHP Billiton, Suralco and Alcoa.

Some weeks ago it got worldwide known that in the eastern part of Suriname, in the Nassau-mountains and Lely-mountains researchers have discovered already in 2005 some 24 new animalspecies in those mountain areas. It is in those same areas the miningindustry intend to start in nearby future new miningactivities.

Now the South African consultancy agency SRK-Consulting makes a study on possibilities to start bauxite mining in the Bakhuys-mountains in West-Suriname. There will be made four so called ‘Environmental and Social Management Plans’ which must provide the BHP Billiton company directives for a correct way of mining in the area and the transportation of bauxite in a concession area of 2.800 km² in the Bakhuys-region. In this area five places have been identified for bauxite-mining. The rest of the area is kept free for the building of transportroads, bauxite storingfacilities, office-buildings and housing. There is even planned a complete new harbour in the Corantijn-river for the shipping of bauxite. This new harbour shall have a great impact of the environment and a strong polution of the river.

According to SRK-Consulting the wildlife area which is not populated but where maroons do use the area, will be taken into account. Furthermore SRK-Consulting says that after a miningperiod the area will be set back in its orginal status, by the growing of new planted trees.

However recent history reveals, that lots of areas where bauxite mining took place, the area is still a huge open red-coloured area in the beautiful Suriname wooded areas, like the region around the little town of Moengo. The huge miningcompanies have done their job, leave the area and leave the local population in a poluted and destroyed area.

Unfortunatedly and sad to remark, not one Suriname nature conservation organization speaks out against the mentioned new mining plans in East- and West-Suriname. That is a shame. In Paramaribo some of those organizations have their offices, like:

the World Wildlife Fund Guianas (http://www.wwfguianas.org/)
the Amazon Conservation Team Suriname (http://www.actsuriname.org/)
Stinasu – Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname (http://www.stinasu.sr/)
Conservation International Suriname (http://www.ci-suriname.org/)
NIMOS – National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname (http://nimos.org/)

None of these organizations raise their voices against the plans. Obviously they no not mind the mining activities and the destruction of forrests and wildlife which they are supposed to be protecting.

Maybe it’s time for organizations and individual people outside of Suriname to oppose the bauxite-miningplans in East- and West-Suriname.

Paul Kraaijer
Zwolle, the Netherlands
22nd June 2007