Mining, international trade and environmental impacts in the páramo El Rabanal de Samacá, Boyacá

Abstract

Mining is an economic activity that has been developed for more than a century in the El Rabanal Páramo, mainly in Samacá (Boyacá), one of the six municipalities that has jurisdiction in this ecosystem and that has appreciable reserves of mineral coal. It is undeniable that mining has contributed to the generation of employment, the promotion of regional trade and the financing of some social works for the benefit of the local population. However, during the last decade (2009-2018), due to the rebound in international prices of coal and coke, exploration and exploitation activities have intensified, causing high anthropic pressure to the Páramo. For this reason, from the perspective of environmental thinking, based on an analysis of the available literature, this           article analyzes some environmental effects and impacts derived from the cyclical increase in coal production in  the El Rabanal Páramo, during the last decade.