Katanga-Syndrome

Katanga-Syndrome

A presentation by Emma Strauß

Index

1. Province Katanga2. The Katanga-Syndrome 3. Amazonas Rainforest 4. Serra dos Carajás 5. Syndrome-Concept 6. Sources

Index

Province Katanga

Mining in Katanga

• one of the richest mining areas on earth
• exploitation of mineral resources led to massive destruction of ecosystems

The Katanga-Syndrome

What exactly does “Katanga-Syndrome" mean?

The environmental degradation related to mining and extraction of non-renewable resources.

Where do we find this syndrome?

Examples of the syndrome can be found in any regions where mineral resources are mined in form of open-pit mining.

Amazonas Rainforest

Location

• stretches over several countries, including Brazil, Peru and Colombia
• home for rich and versatile flora and fauna

5.8 Mio km2

Serra dos Carajás

Carajás Mountains

• Mountain range in eastern Amazonia
• one of the largest known iron ore deposit on earth with 18 billion tons

Location of the mining area

Why did they start mining?

• increasing consumption of energy and raw materials worldwide
• globalization
• Brazil wanted to boost its economy
• financial debt
• population growth

Development in the area

• contains iron ore as well as copper, manganese and bauxite
• since 1967 dismantling of deposits in open-pit mining

• mining led to industrialization and construction of a whole new infrastructure

What it takes to build an infrastructure from scratch

1. construction of deposits, accommodation and transport networks
2. agricultural production
3. constructing power plants for electricity supply

clearing of the rainforest, displacement of settlements

Changing Landscape

1981 2014

Consequences

• morphological consequences
• negative effects on hydrological processes
• environmental consequences
• destruction of ecosystems
• impact on the local population

Before After

Solutions

• developing new and better materials
• finding renewable ways of generating energy
• increasing environmental standards

Syndrome-Concept

Today's situation

• mining in Carajás makes up about 30% of Brazil's extraction

• unilateral economic structure
• growth of Brazil's economy

GDP per capita

Sources

https://www2.klett.de/sixcms/list.php?page=infothek_artikel&extra=TERRA-Online%20/%20Gymnasium%20/%20neu&artikel_id=1692244&inhalt=klett71prod_1.c.1680814.dehttp://www.institutfutur.de/transfer-21/daten/materialien/Werkstattmaterialien/01.pdf https://geohilfe.de/unterricht/stundenentwuerfe/die-erschliessung-von-amazonien/ https://www.planet-wissen.de/kultur/suedamerika/amazonien/pwiediezerstoerungderregenwaeldersuedamerikas100.html https://diercke.westermann.de/content/serra-dos-carajás-brasilien-rohstofferschließung-978-3-14-100800-5-265-4-2

The Katanga-Syndrome