Gold Mining Activities and Its Impacts on Land Degradation in Central Sulawesi Indonesia

Abstract

Central Sulawesi has a large amount of gold deposits unevenly extended in a number of regencies and cities. Some companies with concession land have already held contract of work and mining concession but yet to exploit the land. Most mining activities existed are traditionally conducted in the concession land. The inability of the local government to control the activities has led encroachment to protected forest and agricultural land. The consumption of mercury in gold processing could reach 34,000kg mercury day-1 with gold production approximately 22.5-45 kg day-1. The improper use of mercury has caused chemical, biological and physical soil degradation.