Environmentalists have launched a large-scale project to monitor from space the rivers of Siberia that suffer from mining placer gold. Specialists from the Rivers Without Borders coalition and the Satellite Monitoring Center, with the support of WWF Russia, analyze images to identify pollution and report it to regulatory authorities.
The first data has already shown a serious situation. Pollution of the Unakha River in the Amur Region stretches for almost 90 kilometers. And the Ilikan River in the Trans-Baikal Territory carries muddy waters for 70 kilometers. Satellite photographs clearly show the characteristic plumes of suspended matter that form below the areas where they are working. gold miners.
Space monitoring has become an effective solution for control even in the most remote and inaccessible areas of Siberia, where it is difficult to promptly send an inspection. Environmentalists continue to map contaminated areas and also collect complaints from local residents. Thus, satellite data turns into a powerful tool for public monitoring, allowing everyone to monitor the conservation of water resources.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: @twrussia
